218 



living male flowers, the dead forming by their decay, masses of a 

 humus-lilce material which fills the cavities between the trunk 

 and the bases of the leaves. These rich humus-pockets probably 

 explain the tendency of foreign plants to seek sustenance on Elaeis- 

 guineensis; the strangest of all these being seedlings of Elaeis it- 

 self, of which the writer found two with well developed roots and 

 plumules embedded in the leaf-base cavities. 



It will be understood that this, being the first bunch collected 

 off the tree, it cannot i]i any way l)e an indication of the fruiting- 

 capacity of the tree, no more tlian the first bunch plucked off a 

 coconut tree can be considered as an indication of its future crop 

 capacity. 



The arrangement of the leaves round the trunk of the palm 

 is in groups of three as shown in the diagram. 



Diagram showing 

 disposition of leaves and fruit bunch. 



The bunch of fruit A is jammed between the trunk and the 

 base of the leaf B, while the two leaves C and D also exert a 

 pressure on the sides of the bunch. The pressure exercised by these- 

 three leaves against the bunch is very great, so much so that a large 

 number of the fruit cannot develop beyond the embryonic stage 

 and are absolutely wasted. Owing to this pressure, it is impossible 

 to get at the bunches without first cutting the leaves as near as- 

 possible to their base. Xow, the substance of the Elaeis leaf bases^ 

 i^ not, like that of coconut leaves, soft ajid yielding, it is woody 

 and very tough, and it requires a sharp and heavy parang or a 

 hatchet, or a chisel and mallet, to hack through it. 



A point which also impresses itself very quickly on the coolie 

 is the presence of spines at the lower end and on both sides of the 

 stalks of the leaves (the midribs) : this makes it almost impossible 

 for the hand of the coolie to get in touch with the bunch itself 

 without getting hurt by the spines ; and, lastly the fruit themselves 

 are encased between spiny bracts, which put out of the question 

 all possibility of picking them out individually by hand. It is- 

 thus seen that the fruit bunch is extremely well protected against 

 human intrusion. 



It was necessary to go into the above details to explain one of 

 the difficulties, and not a mean one, that confronts the planter of 

 Elaeis. For we may take it for granted that Elaeis^ will grow in 

 these countries as well as in its African home, the superb specimens 

 of the tree seen in Sumatra and in Malaya are a sure warrant of 

 that. That it will yield as good returns and yields of oil may 

 also be concedi'd. But to conclude from this, that the svstematic 

 jdantation of Elaeis will l)e a "paying" pro])osition in Malaya or 

 Sumatra is somewhat premature. 



