MAINTENANCE OPEBATIONS. 221 



soil ; if they were lower, water would lodge over them during the 

 rai.is, and if higher, there would be risk of drought. Nevertheless, 

 if the locality was very damp, they would be sufficiently raised to 

 prevent wet feet. 



The sowing is executed in exactly the same way as in permanent 

 nurseries, but greater attention should be paid to the quantity of 

 seed sown ; the plants should come up thickly enough to assist in 

 keeping down weeds and yet be far enough apart not to become 

 spare and lanky. Under a canopy of trees, if only germ seedlings 

 were required, it might suffice to let those trees sow the ground 

 naturally. 



In the nursery lines the seedlings ought to stand closer together 

 than they would under similar circumstances do in permanent nur- 

 series, where the more intensive cultivation enables the young 

 plants to acquire a greater lateral development and the weeds caa 

 be removed as soon as they show themselves. The seedlings should 

 be pricked out during favourable weather at the commencement of 

 of the summer rains ; seldom, if ever, later, even if the succeeding 

 cold weather be mild, because, in view of the unavoidably insuffi- 

 cient supervision and tending that can be given to this class of 

 nurseries, the seedlings must be placed in the very best conditions 

 possible to take care of themselve. For the same reason the prick- 

 ing out should be done with great care. 



Both in the seed-beds and nursery lines the soil should be 

 drenched as soon as the seeds or plants have been put into the 

 ground. 



ARTICLE 9. 

 MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS. 



"WEEDING. Weeding can in no case be dispensed with. Where 

 there is shelter of trees overhead, and neither frost nor drought is 

 to be feared, there the freer the beds are of weeds throughout the 

 year, the better, and the operation should, therefore, be repeated 

 as often as it is required and the necessary labour and supervision 

 are available. But where frost or drought can do harm, the strono;- 



^^ ^5 



est and really dangerous weeds alone should be kept out at all 

 times, and a complete weeding should be effected only at the com- 

 mencement of the summer rains so as to give the plants growing 

 room when they most require it ; otherwise the weeds should be 

 left untouched as a necessary protection for the young plants. 



PROTECTION AGAINST ANIMALS. Cattle, deer, elephants and pigs 

 must be kept out by means of fences (see Fencing p. 208). Por- 

 cupines, monkeys, and hares cannot be excluded except when there 



