278 DIRECT SOWING. 



development of the year's shoots. 



(iv) In November-December where winter rains do not prevail. 



2. Weeding and hoeing, and manuring. 



WEEDING AND HOEING. The removal of weeds is absolutely 

 necessary during the early part of the season of vegetation when 

 new organs are being formed in every direction. During the rest 

 of the season also the absence of weeds would be beneficial by 

 favouring root-extension, and hence if the weeds are not required 

 as a protection against injurious weather influences, they should, 

 whenever practicable, be removed. Even if there are no weeds at 

 all or none that are dangerous, the soil should be loosened round 

 the seedlings at the beginning of the season of vegetation. 



The amount of space to clear round the seedlings will depend on 

 their habits and requirements, the more or less invasive nature of 

 the weeds, the suitability of the soil and locality for the seedlings, 

 and the character of the climate. Thus the more shade-avoiding 

 or hardier or rapid-growing the seedlings are, the more invasive the 

 weeds, the more suitable the soil and locality for the species sown, 

 the milder the climate, and so on, the more free growing-room 

 must be given to the seedlings both in the air and in the soil. 

 Generally speaking, it is seedlings that develop a long tap-root 

 with a few short and thin side roots, which suffer most from contact 

 with weeds in the soil, e.g., teak and sissu ; and the most danger- 

 ous kinds of weeds are those which have a tendency to spread both 

 in the soil and above ground and grow gregariously. Such weeds 

 should, if possible, be pulled up by the roots. Shrubby species are 

 most to be guarded against, and after them, amongst herbaceous 

 plants, tall dense perennials. 



As loosening the soil necessarily clears it of weeds, and vice 

 versa, the two operations of weeding and hoeing should, whenever 

 possible, be combined into one. 



MANURING. It will seldom be practicable to manure the seed- 

 lings. But whenever it can be done a top-dressing of manure 

 should be given at the commencement of the season of vegetation, 

 at the same time as the combined weeding and hoeing up of the 

 soil round the seedlings is effected. 



ARTICLE 4. 

 REPAIRS. 



Wherever seedlings have failed to come up or have died off caus- 

 ing blanks that would take too long to fill up by the nieetirj of 



