wul the Areca-nui Tree', 3^3 



Its nunicrous palms, which are from eighteen to twenty- 

 four feet in length, become interwoven, and cross the 

 branches of other trees in the nciuhbourhood, without 

 hurting them, or impeding their mutual vciietation. The 

 sea may wash the bottom of coeo-nut trees without injury; 

 for, instead of suffering from the salt water, they accjuirc 

 more vigour, and produce w ith more fecundity. 'This ob- 

 servation will occur to those who travel along the coast of 

 Malabar, which is covered by an immense and thick forest 

 of these palms, and exhibits the most delightful and pic- 

 turesque scenery. 



This observation leads me to speak of a practice fol- 

 lowed by the agriculturists of Ilindostan, as well as by 

 those of China, and of other countries, comprehended un- 

 der the general name of India. Thev are all accustomed, 

 when near the ocean, to water their rice fields with sea Wa- 

 ter; or, when at a distance from it, thev besprinkle them 

 with salt before they are tilled ; and they generally follow 

 this practice in the cultivation of all the esculent or legu- 

 minous plants produced in their country. During; niy 

 travels through the interior parts of India, and even the 

 most northern districts of that vast empire, I have seen 

 inunensc fields covered with other kinds of gramineous 

 vegetables, the soil of which had been manured'onlv with 

 leaves, salt, and the ashes arising from plants, and the re- 

 mains of the straw of the former crop, preserved for that 

 purpose, and burnt standing. 



Salt, ashes, and water, then, are the only manure em- 

 plc-yed by the Indian agriculturists to improve their lands; 

 the remains of plants and noxious weeds bein"- burnt in 

 this manner, it is never neeessarv to suffer the fields to re- 

 main fallow. These agricultural practices, followed for aces, 

 by men who are the mventors »f all the arts and all the "sci- 

 ences, and who are the most skilful in agriculture, as is 

 proved by the perfection to which the cultivation of land 

 has been carried in Ilindostan, are an evident proof that 

 dunghills are not so necessary to the success of crops as 

 is generally imagined in Europe. 1 shall here add, that 

 the fields in all the districts of this immense countr\, 

 where this method is followed, never remain fiillow, and 

 produce two, three, and even four distinct crops in the 

 course of the year. I could not help introducing these 

 observations in this place, though thev do not belong di- 

 rcetly to the subject in qiiestioir. 



The coeo-iiut, which retain^ its oerm for years, when 

 preserved from humidity, will gerniinaie, howovtr, uittiout. 



