NILGIEI HILLS. 



175 



chenia Hermanni). There is no scarcity of such land on the 

 Nilgiris. At first, Capt. Campbell trenched 14 inches deep, and 

 put in 11,000 young Acacias 4 feet apart. Of these, a large 

 proportion were looking well. In the course of the experiment 

 he ascertained that the expense of trenching is unnecessary. 

 He now makes holes 1 foot square by contract, and has engaged 

 a gang of Badagas to prepare them at . the rate of 150 holes per 

 rupee ; 24 holes are made by each cooly per diem. The dis- 

 tance between the trees has been increased from 3 to 6 feet, but 

 varies according to situation. The arrangement is everywhere 

 quincunx ; and where other trees are mixed with the Acacia, the 

 alternation of hard and soft wood (as shown in the diagram, 

 Brown's " Forester," p. 442) is adopted. 



The Acacia lophantha thrives in every soil, and answers well 

 as a nurse to guard slow-growing wood. (Bot. Beg. v. t. 361.) 



It may be of use to direct attention to careless manage- 

 ment in transplanting seedlings, which causes 

 serious injury both in public and private plan- 

 tations. Observing some stunted plants in the 

 Australian plantation, surrounded by vigorous 

 young trees, I pulled up the nearest to ascer- 

 tain the cause, which became at once appa- 

 rent. The cooly employed in transplanting had 

 pressed down the tap-root with his feet, pro- 

 ducing the contorted appearance seen in fig. 8 ; 

 the double twist interfered with the circulation 

 of the sap, and the plant drooped in conse- 

 quence. 



This disregard to the requirements of the 

 tap-root is not applicable to one part of the 

 country, or to one set of plantations : there is 

 a general carelessness in this matter, and the 

 evil results are visible even in the coffee gar- 

 dens of experienced planters. To prevent the 

 occurrence of this mischief, Capt. Campbell 

 places trees intended for transplantation in wicker baskets 

 supplied by contract ; through the sides of these the roots 

 readily penetrate ; and when the time for transplanting has ar- 



Fig. 8. 



