CH. V] COCONUTS AND OTHER PALMS 77 



and regular constituent of the mixed cultivations already 

 mentioned, and described in Chapter XIV. below. 



The usual idea about a palm is that it grows vertically 

 upwards and is crowned by a tuft of leaves. This, however, 

 is not quite true about the coconut, the stem of which is prac- 

 tically never erect, but grows upwards in a more or less graceful 

 curve. Along the sea coast the stems of the outermost palms 

 project over the water, and this is often given as the reason of 

 the curve, but in actual fact it would seem to be a case of the 

 stem bending towards the light, as the outer stems of a clump 

 usually all bend outwards, whether over water or not. 



On properly managed estates the palms are planted in 

 regular rows, and at about 25 feet apart, whereas in the ordi- 

 nary native garden they are planted anyhow, usually mixed 

 with other trees, or if planted alone then much too closely. 

 The palm begins to bear fruit about the fifth year, and bears 

 for seventy or more years thereafter. The crop varies very 

 much, but perhaps on the average is from 40 to 75 nuts per 

 tree per annum on an ordinary estate. 



The coconut, as might be expected, occurs in a great many 

 varieties with rather small differences. The two chief and most 

 conspicuous groups of varieties are those with green nuts, 

 known in Ceylon as ordinary nuts, and those with yellow nuts, 

 known in Ceylon as king coconuts. Some kinds have a larger 

 yield of fibre, some give larger nuts. 



On a good estate the trees are planted out from nurseries, 

 but in the villagers' gardens are often planted out as seeds. 

 In Ceylon and other equatorial countries they often get but 

 little cultivation till they arrive at maturity, a fact which 

 appeals with some force to the ordinary villager, but in India, 

 etc., greater care is taken of them, especially in the north about 

 Bombay, etc. 



The tropical villager obtains from this palm many of the 

 necessaries of life. The large leaves are woven into " cadjans " 

 for thatching, into mats, baskets, etc. ; their stalks and midribs 

 make fences, brooms, yokes, and many other utensils. The 

 trunk affords rafters, beams, canoes, troughs, and many other 

 articles of furniture, etc. The bud or " cabbage " at the apex 



