170 TROPICAL AGRICULTURE chap. 



healthy trees. Th^. Hindoos are alive to the necessity of 

 Avatering the plants, and they have a pretty adage, specially 



ada^e^'^" applied to this part of the cultivation : it is — " Water me 

 " continually during my youth, and I will quench thy thirst 

 "abundantly during the whole course of my life" In good 



When the land, and with careful cultivation, the trees will begin to 



trees begin ^ . , „ . , ... 



to bear. flower m the fifth year, or even earlier m some mstances, 

 but the full bearing will not commence before a period rang- 

 ing from the seventh to the twelfth year from planting, and 

 thereafter until about the twentieth year the crops will go on 

 increasing provided a proper system of cultivation be kept up. 



Enemies of the Trees. — Fortunately the cocoa-nut palm 

 has not so many enemies in the West Indies as in the East, 

 but great attention must be paid by the cocoa-nut planter to 

 the cultivation, so as to detect at once the ravages of any 

 blight or animal that may be injuring the trees or ruining the 

 crops. It is the old story of a " stitch in time saving nine." 

 A disease, taken at the commencement of the symptoms, 

 may often be easily overcome ; but, if it be allowed to make 

 progress, it will often defy every remedy. 

 Scale blight. In some places the leaves of the cocoa-nut palm are 

 attacked by a scale insect, or coccus^ which may easily be 

 detected by careful "examination. Little scales are seen 

 closely applied to the leaves, after a time the leaves attacked 

 turn brown and die, and eventually the plant may be killed. 

 Such blights are prone to attack weakly trees planted in un- 

 suitable situations, and badly cultivated, but sometimes they 

 invade healthy trees, properly cultivated, in the best soils 

 Affected and climatcs. When a few trees only are affected they may 

 deTtroyed^if ^^ ^^^^ down and destroyed by fire. Or, the following emul- 

 they are not sion, uscd to kill the scale insect on orange trees, may be 



numerous. 



applied to the affected leaves : — 



Kerosene .... 2 gallons 



Insecticide. Soft Soap .... 4 pound 



Water . . . . i gallon 



