Edible Products. 



54 



cultivated as thoroughly as possible ; the least that can be done is to plough, cross- 

 plough, harrow, and cross-harrow ; as the rows have to run north and south, it is as 

 well to plough in this direction first, finishing up with the cross-harrowing from east 

 to west ; this small matter makes it more convenient to arrange the lines when 

 planting out. 



Planting.— Two days before planting is to be commenced the nursery beds 

 should receive a thorough soaking with water ; the plants can then be got out with- 

 out damaging the roots. Planting boxes, each capable of holding about 1,000 plants, 

 should be prepared beforehand ; these may be made out of any light wood, the most 

 convenient shape being that of a square coal-scuttle or sugar scoop, 15 inches by 2 ft. 

 3 inches on the longest side ; the seedlings are stacked into the boxes just as they 

 come from the bed and are not disturbed until they are planted in the field ; each 

 planter should have a box, and there should be several spare ones so that the 

 planters may be kept supplied with newly filled boxes from the nursery as the others 

 get empty ; the idea is to prevent the roots being exposed or damaged in any way. 



The seedlings are ready for planting out when they have three or four leaves 

 about four inches long and a hard stem from two to three inches long ; care should be 

 taken when lifting them from the beds not to break off the tap root as such a seedling 

 often results in a curly-leaved plant. The best time of the day for planting is from 

 three o'clock in the afternoon until dark ; but this is because the plants are enabled 

 to lay hold of the soil before they have to face the strong sunlight ; so that advan- 

 tage should be taken of cloudy days to push ahead with the planting as rapidly as 

 possible. If the plants loose their first leaves by exposure to bright sun, they 

 usually take some time to recover and make fresh ones before they can start into 

 rapid growth ; whereas if these leaves get safely through the transplanting, the plant 

 starts into vigorous growth immediately. 



In the actual planting out great care should be exercised in organising the work 

 in such a way as to prevent a hitch occurring, to cause loss of time. After repeated 

 trials of various methods I have found the following to be the best and quickest :— 

 Procure eight stout pegs and two rough mallets ; put four pegs into the ground on 

 each side of the field at a distance of three feet apart and stretch lines between the 

 first two pairs ; start one man with a six-pointed dibbler fro in each end to make the 

 holes, with one man following each to fill the holes with water as they are made, 

 whether the soil be moist or dry ; three planters may follow each waterer. 



Care should be taken to see that the roots are put into the mud formed by 

 throwing in the water ; to secure this, thrust two fingers in the centre of the small 

 puddle and draw half on one side ; insert the roots, then press the moved half back 

 again to the plant and smooth down the surrounding soil ; no water will be required 

 after this. 



As soon as one line is holed and planted it can be moved to the next pair of 

 pegs over the one on which the planters are working ; the pegs may be moved in the 

 odd moments whilst the planters are changing over from the finished line to the one 

 newly holed and watered. 



This is a brief outline of a plan that may be modified to suit varying condi- 

 ions ; for instance, the water may be some distance off, necessitating more hands in 

 this part of the work ; and again, women can apply the water just as well as men. 

 A dibbler, capable of making six holes at once, can be very easily made out of two 

 inches by three inches pitch pine scantling :— six 3-feet lengths planed smooth and 

 pointed with iron held fifteen inches apart by a hand bar at the top and a foot bar one 

 foot f rom'the points ; the lengths should be fifteen inches from centre to centre, that 

 is, from point to point. An acre of tobacco planted three feet by fifteen inches should 

 contain" ! H,600 plants ; these in a fair season will yield about ten quintals of cured 

 tobacco, equal to 1,000 lb. 



