CULTIVATION AFTER PLANTING 33 



Green Mulch. " A great deal of the expense of weeding 

 and forking in wet districts can be avoided by growing 

 heavy green mulches, as a dry mulch does not last long 

 nor act as well there. Then there is the additional profit 

 in growing or adding a mulch, in the land being constantly 

 made richer rather than becoming poorer. Jerusalem 

 peas [Phaseolus trinervis] can be planted immediately the 

 plants appear and the ground is thoroughly forked. The 

 vines will soon cover the ground, and they do not run so 

 much as the velvet bean or the Bengal bean, so causing 

 expense in keeping the vines within bounds, and at the 

 same time the Jerusalem peas last longer than cowpeas, 

 so are found to suit better as a more permanent mulch. 

 No matter w r hen planted, the Jerusalem peas only blossom 

 about October, so if planted in February or March, when 

 the bananas are just in, they will cover the ground till 

 December." 



In the Journal for April 1910 he writes : " For ten 

 years we have patiently written of the various legumes 

 which ought to be utilized for the triple purpose of (1) 

 covering the land with a plant under control to keep down 

 and crush out weeds ; (2) providing a cheap mulch, as 

 mulching material which has to be cut and carried on the 

 land is often difficult to get in quantity, and is expensive 

 to apply this thick covering of vine should be cutlassed 

 down when in blossom and let lie until it rots, when it can 

 be forked in ; (3) supplying humus and nitrogen. In a 

 tropical country where such heavy rains may fall and cake 

 the earth mulch, beat even newly forked soil hard, and 

 wash the soft top soil into the open drains, or away into 

 water-courses, the green mulch is the practice that should 

 prevail. As soon as the banana suckers are planted, get 

 the soil covered, so that the rains will not beat it or wash 

 it, or the sun bake it." Jerusalem peas grow well even 

 in the shade of a banana plantation, and are very effective 

 in keeping down weeds. The growth is thick and on an 

 average 2 ft. high. 



Ploughing. Various opinions are held by banana 



