»5 



plants happen to be raised at one time they may be carefully sep- 

 arated, each with its fair share of surrounding soil. They are then 

 transplanted into the holes of the Nursery beds The Nursery beds 

 should be covered with light atap coverings as quickly as possible, 

 at about 2 feet off the ground to facilitate future watering. The 

 supports for the ataps and the ataps would be ready cut before 

 commencing transplanting. The atap covering may be removed 

 after 3 weeks to a month, when the plants have got over the shock 

 of transplanting and the roo's have laid hold of the 1 soil. Weeding 

 should be carried out now. 



(II). Pricking out into Tile-pots: — The method to be described 

 is commended to be adopted in preference to the one above, because 

 of the length uf taproot the C as uariiva develops. Seedlings 6 inches 

 high often have a descending axi-; or root of a foot length. 



A tile pot is formed by placing two semi-cylindrical tiles together 

 edge to edge, so as to form a cylinder about 5 inches in diameter 

 and 10 inches length. Square beds of 4 feet 3 inches sides (depen- 

 ding on the diameter of the cylinders are exc ivated to a depth of 

 one foot depending on the length of tile used) which will hold 100 

 tile-pots in each bed. All preparations for atap coverings being 

 got ready, the bottom of the beds should be lined with a larger of 

 potsherds to prevent the roots penetratinor the soil below and thus 

 confining them within the pots, they will also abort and drain off any 

 excess of water. Now the 3 months seedlings will be raised from 

 the seed-beds and pricked out into these tile-pots each of which may 

 be bound with thin split rotan and previously prepared for their 

 reception by a slight watering. The cylinders are placed together 

 side by side in the excavated beds till they form a honeycomb 

 lilling the whole up flush with the surface of the ground. The 

 plants should be watered daily in the absence of rain. The atap 

 covering will be removed when the seedlings are established in the 

 pots. By using pots the root growth of the seedlings is restrained 

 and little or no shock is received in transplanting into the field . All 

 failures can be counted and replaced if possible and the number fin- 

 ally removed into the held can be definitely known. 



^ Bamboo pots" made by sawing a bamboo up below each suc- 

 cessive node, are not to be recommended as they per se attract white 

 ants, especially when crowded together. They are also more ex- 

 pensive, requiring to be " split " before final transplanting in the 

 open, whereas tile-pots are merely halved and can be used again. 



(e). Protection from Insects. — Tender or herbaceous, i.e., non- 

 lignified stems are liable to be attacked by crickets and grasshop- 

 pers and signs of these should be watched lor and the insects driven 

 off. 



(/). Pitting and Transplanting into Pits. — Before pitting the 

 area to be planted should be thoroughly cleared of resam [Gleichenia 

 linearis) Sendudok [Melastoma polyanthum Bl. and allied species) 

 commonly called Singapore Rhododendrons, Lalang (Iniperata 

 cylindrica, Beauv.) and other weeds including useless small shrubs ; 



