Manuring 287 



ripe. Inside the kernel is the milk, and when 

 fully ripe, on shaking the nut a fine, clear, bell- 

 like tone is emitted. But if germination has 

 already started very little sound is produced, 

 and if the nut be immature then a curious 

 muffled tone is the result. A little practice is 

 necessary to discriminate between these nuts, 

 and the preference given to the San Bias nuts 

 can to a certain extent be explained by the 

 fact that there the natives are expert in the 

 gathering of seed-nuts. 



In San Bias, on trees selected for seed-nuts, 

 a rough make of canvas or netting is suspended 

 half-way up the trees to form a sort of sail 

 into which the nuts drop when fully matured. 

 By this way the young embryo is preserved 

 from any possible damage. It is, however, 

 quite different if the planter has to select his 

 seed- nuts from a huge pile collected perhaps 

 from different plantations. Those nuts which 

 on shaking give no evidence of containing milk 

 can be neglected at once, but as to the others 

 he must just put them to the test of germina- 

 tion, and select from the most vigorous. This 

 brings us to the question of a nursery. 



MANURING IN NURSERY WORK. 



Now there are differences of opinion as to 

 the value of a nursery. Many planters scout the 

 idea of this as an unnecessary outlay, but the 

 arguments in favour of a nursery are so strong 

 that in most cases it is advisable to adopt this 



