COCONUT PLANTER'S MANUAL. 77 



On such land the trees grow rapidly and come into bearing early and 

 respond readily to manuring. After this comes a dark chocolate loam, 

 either alone or mixed with quartz or large stones; or a brown soil also 

 mixed with quartz and stones. These soils though they may be rich are, 

 owing to their greater tenacity, not so good for the growth of coconuts, 

 as the trees are slower in growth and take perhaps 12 to 15 years to 

 come into good bearing. Avoid as you would your worst enemy, cabook, 

 clay, and gravel soils, for they can never make successful or paying 

 estates. Provided there is sufficient natural drainage, the flatter the 

 land the better. Moderately steep land, if of good soil, is not to be 

 despised though the cost of all works will be slightly enhanced. 



Rainfall. — From 60 to 80 inches a year, well distributed, is what 

 suits the coconut tree best, though it will thrive and bear well with -50 

 inches on deep free soil, where the roots can travel easily in search of 

 water. Less than 50 inches is perhaps hardly sufficient even on the 

 most suitable soils. It has been said that a rainfall of 100 inches and 

 over sends the tree to leaf and diminishes fruit production. I have 

 not found this so. I know lands receiving up to 160 inches a year 

 which compare well with those receiving only 80. Tf the soil is good, 

 the extra rainfall doe3 not seem to do harm. 



Nxjrsekies — Where any large extent of lands is to be planted i- 

 is not possible to get nuts from selected trees for sowing in a nursery, 

 though this might be done for raising plants for supplies. When select- 

 ing from a heap fully ripe nuts should be chosen, the water in which 

 gives a metallic ring when shaken ; they should be of medium size, and 

 smooth and glcbular as they can be got, as such nuts have generally 

 thin husks and are borne on a short fruit-stalk, and the trees are good 

 bearers. The site of a nursery should be level and not far from water 

 as the nuts must be liberally watered during dry weather. Cut a 

 trench say 4 feet wide and 8 inches deep; remove all the soil and put 

 in the nuts touching each other, with the stalk end upwards; put 'n 

 soil and fill in all interstices, ramming in the soil with a stick; water 

 liberally and then put in more soil, leaving only two inches of the top 

 of the nut exposed. I have found this method the most successful. 

 A great deal iias been written as to the best position in which to lay 

 down nuts in a nursery. My observation is that it makes very little dif- 

 ference whether placed with the eye end upwards, on the side, or the 

 eye end slightly elevated; they seem to grow well in all positions. 



Lining. — The base lines should b© laid with a lining instrument as 

 bad lining remains as long as the estate lasts, a witness to the careless- 

 ness of the Superintendent. All distances, from 24 by 24 feet to 30 by 

 30 feet apart, have their advocates ; I think 26 by 28 feet apart a good 

 distance; the tree, exoept on the richest soils, have ample room to grow, 



