56 COCONUT CULTIVATION 



water conditions are established and a central 

 site for factory decided on; the same remark 

 applies to roads. 



Seed Nuts. Almost double the number re- 

 quired has been allowed for, though 80 per cent, 

 should germinate seedlings over are readily 

 saleable. 



Fencing. If the estate felling is given out 

 on contract, the contractor should cut and supply 

 free uprights for fencing from hard wood the 

 estate to provide the wire. 



Weeding. This should be done by hand, and 

 where hoeing or changkolling is done to eradi- 

 cate lalang grass, Chinese labour is best, as the 

 Chinaman puts more back into his work than 

 the Javanese or Tamil coolie. 



The cost of weeding and keeping an estate 

 thoroughly clean should be approximately as 

 follows : 



As the trees grow older the shade from the 

 palm's large branches is a great check to weed 

 growth, and in this respect at the producing 

 stage a plantation can almost be left to itself. 

 Once the mastery is gained in the early years 



