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pad on which the treo stands. Those Toots which live radiate in 

 all directions to a distance from the tree, 'The writer has followed 

 one, by digging with a fork, to a length of 33 feet from the base 

 of the tree. Of a uniform tliickness throughont of about one 

 quarter of an inch, they run in an almost .straight line through the 

 earth, forming very few branches (only one short branch was 

 observed in this case) aiuV no hair-roots; but, a.t every three or 

 four inches, single short feeders, from three to eight inches 

 long, are seen emerging from the main-root and perpen- 

 dicular to it; it requires a fairly strong P'ldl to wrench these 

 feeders out of the eartli, and, in their ensemble, they must con- 

 stitute a very powerful anchorage for the tree. The older por-tion 

 of the main-roots, i.e. that ])ortion nearest the tree, is woody and 

 somewliat brittle, Init it becomes soft and pliable in the newer parts; 

 and under the brown epidermis which Tubs off easily, it is found 

 to be quite white and turgid. If the covering tube is slit long- 

 itudinally, continuous semi-transparent cord can be detached of 

 the appearance and thickness of Chinese vermicelli : if squeezed, 

 water oozes out of it. This shows that, given a free open soil 

 witli plenty of moisture in it, (which is the case for the tree under 

 review) the Elae'is can draw sustenance from a fairly wide area, 

 and, under similar circumstances, wide-planting would be indicated. 

 But, on the other Hiand, these ni'ain-roots are not numerous and 

 they are easily interpenetrated by the roots of other trees, as was 

 found in the present case, where two neighbouring trees, (one 

 rubber, one coffee) were found sending their roots in all directions, 

 above and below those of the Elae'is. In another case, that of 

 an Elae'is over thirty feet high, growing in stiffish laterite soil, 

 a root one inch thick, ,of a champadak tree (Artocarpus poly- 

 phemia), standing 20 feet away, was unearthed within five feet 

 of the basal pad of the Elae'is. Briefly, then, the root-system 

 of the Elae'is does not form a tliick network, as the coconut does, 

 and its interference with the iieighbouring vegetation does not 

 api3ear to be such as to inhibit the cultivation of ])lants foreign to it. 

 Hence the interplanting of a subsidiary crop, (given proper spac- 

 ing), which cannot be recommended, except at quite an early stage 

 in the case of coconut, appears to the w^riter's mind, as a sensible 

 and practicable proposition in the case of Elaeis. The more so as 

 during the period of waiting for the appearance of ripe bunches 

 of fruit, the laibour of upkee]) will be reduced to keeping the weeds 

 i[own (work which will be assisted by the subsidiary planting), ,to 

 pruning oft' the lower leaves, and keeping the trunks clean. More- 

 over, as the Elaeis grow older, their productiveness will decrease, 

 wliilst, the trees being taller, fruit bunches will cost more to collect. 

 A subsidiary crop of coffee or cocoa may then prove a saving stand- 

 bye. 



The Crop. In or about the.<sixth year, or earlier, under favour- 

 able conditions, the first bunches of fruit may l)e expected and the 

 serious work of the estate will thou begin. Xot that the harvesting 

 will offer any great diffii'iilties up to the ninth or tenth year, for 

 the upward growtli of the trees is slow up to that period, and if the 



