132 Coco-nuts The Consols of the East 



into the field or keep them for a while in nur- 

 series. The answer largely depends on the 

 situation, and whether there is fear of ravages 

 and damage by pigs, rats, &c.; all things 

 being equal, the former practice, i.e., planting 

 in the open, may be resorted to with advantage, 

 but the nursery system also has its many ad- 

 vantages, as it provides a chance for constant 

 and close care, and when once the young 

 nurslings have attained some degree of stur- 

 diness, the selected specimens only need be 

 planted out. This avoids to a considerable 

 degree the costly and tedious task of filling 

 gaps in the widespread area of the full estate, 

 and also ensures more even planting of only 

 picked seedlings. 



In New Guinea the following method is in 

 universal vogue : the sound ripe nuts are col- 

 lected in a shady centre and placed on the 

 ground (not bedded in) against each other on 

 the flat side, of course in the rainy reason. As 

 soon as they have germinated and the young 

 leaves are about 8 in. high, the planting 

 out commences. It is claimed that no ad- 

 vantage accrues by leaving them to further 

 develop, for it is found that they sprout and 

 grow very rapidly after transplanting, and soon 

 catch up even with those which have been left 

 longer in the compounds, as the latter take 

 longer to " take hold " after transplanting, and 

 this., seems to cause them to experience a set- 

 back in their growth. Very young plants have 



