Planting in the West Indies 61 



consequently, although it will 'grow it will not 

 prosper on pure sand alone, unless quantities of 

 manure and humus are supplied. To show the 

 necessity of giving the plants plenty of room, 

 since it is agreed that the leaves should not 

 rub together, one has only to state that a 

 full-grown leaf will measure from 15 ft. to 

 nearly 18 ft. long, and from 4 ft. to 7 ft. wide. 

 The West' Indian booklet (No. 70) gives 

 (p. 4) the following notes on the root system 

 that should be carefully noted, since the roots 

 play so important a part in the matter of yield, 

 especially when applying manure, more so 

 even than those of the cacao and rubber tree 

 do, important as they undoubtedly are. " The 

 roots of the coco-nut palm arise in very large 

 numbers from the portion of the stem below 

 ground and spread out laterally in all direc- 

 tions, while, as in all monocotyledons, there is 

 no tap root. The roots are red in colour, 

 about as thick as a man's finger near their 

 origin, and may attain a length of as much as 

 50 ft. Around the trunk of the tree they 

 form an almost compact mass some few feet 

 thick, while further out they become separated 

 from one another. Some of them penetrate 

 for a considerable depth into the soil, but the 

 majority occur within a foot or two of the 

 surface, and the plant must consequently be 

 regarded as a surface-feeder. The young 

 active ends of the primary roots, and the 

 young portions of the secondary roots arising 



