

Seed-beds and Nurseries 191 



sets in about the conclusion of the first six 

 months in the nursery and lasts from then 

 onwards for another good seven to nine months. 

 If, however, fairly correct calculations have 

 been made at the beginning, regarding the 

 setting in of the big rains, when all trans- 

 planting operations should be carried on, it 

 should not be difficult to gauge the operations 

 properly and to avail oneself of the methods 

 that seem to best advantage, as in neither case 

 would an appreciable set-back of growth be 

 the consequence. 



The small seedlings have the advantage of 

 being most readily moved without much root- 

 damage. The large ones require correspond- 

 ingly more care, but if gently and well handled 

 they have the advantage of great vigour and 

 immunity from enemies in the open plantation. 



All removals must be made with sharp, 

 suitable instruments, such as a keen-edged 

 broad spade or with ''parangs " or native cut- 

 lasses (" dah" in Burmah, "bob" in the Philip- 

 pines, "panga" in Africa). The aborigines 

 are very skilled in the use of these instruments 

 and with them may generally be depended on 

 to do the necessary work with least damage to 

 the roots. The first category, i.e., young 

 seedlings, may lose quite a lot of roots without 

 much injury, but in the case of the larger kind, 

 if root damage has taken place, it is well to 

 remove a foot or two of the foliage in order to 

 balance the top and bottom so as to guard 



