22 



SELECTION OF A LOCALITY AND 

 SITE FOR A PLANTATION. 



WHEN we take into consideration the fact 

 that from the planting of the seed-nuts, it 

 takes the best part of a decade for a coco- 

 nut plantation to arrive at maturity, it will 

 appear obvious to anyone that the greatest 

 possible amount of care must be exercised in 

 the initial selection of the locality as well as 

 in the soil itself ; also that all other con- 

 comitant factors making for and promising 

 ultimate success be carefully considered. 



For the planting up of a coco-nut estate 

 does not only involve a lot of time, but a 

 considerable amount of money as well, which 

 may be sunk irretrievably or invested profitably 

 according to the care which has been bestowed 

 at the outset upon these important desiderata. 

 First of all, then, it is perfectly useless to 

 look around anywhere outside the meridians 

 of Capricorn and Cancer, much better well 

 within them. A sea climate is the best, 

 because it does not present great varieties 

 and excesses of heat and cold, and also feeds 

 the palms with constant supplies of water so 

 necessary for their well-being, without any 

 chance of the soil becoming sour and water- 



