88 COCONUT PLANTER'S MANUAL. 



facilitate the use of modern mechanical appliances as well as the allot- 

 ment of tasks. 



Distance. — The distance which is considered most suitable in good 

 soils is 27 x 27 feet (60 trees to an acre), and in gravelly and poor soils 

 25 x 25 feet (70 trees to an acre). 



Direct su:i-light is absolutely necessary for assimilative work in 

 the leaves, and growth and production depend on the amount of assi- 

 milative work done by the tree. Therefore trees should be so planted 

 as to prevent the leaves of one overlapping those of another. Trees 

 planted 24 x 24 feet in good soils do not bear well till they arc about 

 20 years old when the leaves begin to droop along the trunks and let 

 in more light. 



Holing. — Holes should be 3 x 3 feet by 2£ feet deep. A wooden 

 frame 3 feet square, with diagonal bars and a hole at the intersection of 

 the diagonals, for the peg to pass through, should be used to mark the 

 position of the hole. The difficulty of locating the right spot to plant 

 after the hole is cut could be met by adopting a simple device. This 

 consists of a bar about 6 feet long with a hole in the middle and two 

 holes at either end equidistant from it. This bar should be slipped on 

 the peg, so tl^ it passes through the middle hole, and two smaller pegs 

 are driven into the ground passing through the holes at the ends. Thus 

 there would be three pegs in a straight line at fixed distances from one 

 another. Though the mam peg is removed by cutting the hole its posi- 

 tion could very easily be locatted by replacing the bar in position, so that 

 in planting out the only thing to do is to place the bar in position and 

 fix the plant vertically under the middle hole. Holes should be partly 

 filled with surface sod mixed with ashes, and planted at depths vary- 

 ing from 18 inches, on high land, which does ^not require trenching, to 

 one foot and even less on low land, where trenches are necessary. 



Seed-Nuts.— Great care should be taken in the selection of seed- 

 nuts. They should be collected from the best trees on an estate. The 

 trees should be from 20 to 40 years old, healthy, heavy bearing, 

 drought-resisti! g, possessing short bunch-stalks, yielding good all-round 

 nuts, etc. 



There is a variety of green round nut and a long red nut amongs tha 

 common varieties found in the Island, which have been found to be 

 the best for planting. The nuts should be perfectly dry for planting. 



NurskhY. — The uuts should be placed in the nursery with their 

 tops up. Though there is a difference of opinion on this point, this 

 plan has been adopted for the last 30 years with good results. Lute 

 K ?rmiuater., and unhealthy plants should be rejected when planting out. 



