THE PALMS OF ASIA. 89 



was a manure shed, and outside stood a keeper's 

 hut, uith a store attached, in which were piled 

 up dried guinea grass, maize, etc. The manure 

 pit was deep and large, and in it lay the true 

 secret of the magical productiveness of the trees 

 I had just seen. Good seed, planted in light 

 free soil, well cleared and drained, will produce 

 a fine healthy tree in a few years ; and if to this 

 be added occasional supplies of manure, and a 

 few waterings during the dry season, an abun- 

 dant yield of fruit will most assuredly reward 

 the toil and outlay of the cocoa nut cultivator. 



" Leaving this spot, I strolled into the next 

 field, to see what a number of little boys were 

 so busy about. There were a dozen black 

 urchins, running about from tree to tree ; some- 

 times they stopped, clambered up, and appeared 

 to have very particular business to transact at 

 the stems of the leaves ; but oftener they passed 

 on, contented with a mere glance upwards at 

 the fruit. They had a sharp-pointed instru- 

 ment in the hand, whilst at the wrist of each 

 was hung a cocoa nut shell. I paused to see 

 what one of these children was searching for, 

 half hid as the little fellow was amongst the 

 gigantic leaves. Intently scrutinizing his mo- 

 tions, I observed that he forced the little sharp 

 instrument into the very body of the tree; 



