PLANTING. 



97 



Palghat, and of the size and shape of a flower-pot. 

 These are made of split rattan cane, and though 

 they 'should be tough and elastic, it is essential 

 they should not be so closely woven as to prevent 

 roots of plants piercing them and penetrating the 

 surrounding soil. It is better to have them too 

 loosely than too well made. Into each of these a 

 couple of handfuls of the best jungle leaf mould 

 is placed, and then the young Coffee plants are 

 carefully taken up with a trowel, a small piece is 

 cut off the tap root to prevent the possibility of its 

 being bent, and one is placed in every basket, 

 where they may be safely left until it is convenient 

 to plant them in the clearings. They are not moved 

 again, but basket and all slipped into the pit, and 

 the basket allowed to decay as it likes. This, it 

 will be understood, is an expensive method with 

 this advantage, of very few subsequent " failures " 

 occurring in the open. 



If neither trowels nor baskets are used, then the 

 plants must be taken up carefully, with as much 

 earth on their roots as possible, transferred to their 

 new location in shallow weeding baskets, and planted 

 out with as little delay as is practicable. Though 

 we have said the young plants in their bamboo 

 transplanting baskets may be safely left about, that 

 only applies to the wet season, when rain or overcast 

 skies are certain ; at any other time it stands to 

 reason they would be scorched up in an hour or so 

 if exposed to the full sunshine. Some planters 



