

Seed-nuts and Nurseries 193 



the nut, as it is still very tender and only 

 loosely jointed, so that any pulling at the leaf 

 bud will result in breaking u^ tender joint and 

 injuring the plant permanently. A great deal 

 of damage is done in this way, for the careless 

 native is naturally prone to seize the handiest 

 part, viz., the leaves, in order to aid him in 

 removing the plant from its bed. Personal 

 supervision is here essential, or a serious set- 

 back and unsatisfactory results generally to 

 the growth and vitality of the palms are sure 

 to follow. 



In localities where no natural shade is 

 available, it is necessary to build shade-roofs to 

 protect the tender plants from the direct influ- 

 ence of the sun. The more wide spreading 

 these roofs are made, the better, but it is not 

 necessary, as some people advocate, to cover 

 in the entire area, nursery-paths and all. The 

 material for these contrivances is nearly always 

 to be found at a low cost in the immediate 

 neighbourhood. This is where a clump or 

 avenue of bamboos on the estate can come in 

 very useful and save quite substantial bills for 

 uprights, roofings, &c. First of all it requires 

 a large number of stout sticks about 6 ft. long, 

 with a fork on the upper end, so that when 

 they are firmly fixed in the ground, they still 

 stand 4 ft. clear. In order not to make the 

 roofs too unwieldy and cumbersome, these 

 shelters should be made only wide enough to 

 cover in about four rows of plants. Such a 



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