THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 447 



years to begin exhibiting a stem it has grown since that time at 

 the rate of about seven inches a year. Unfortunately this specimen 

 is a male, and therefore bears no fruit ; but several young plants of 

 the same species are placed so as to form an avenue vs^hich may 

 interest future generations. It should certainly be a grand spectacle 

 for posterity in about five hundred years when the trees reach 

 maturitj^. It is to be hoped that the public of the year 2400 will 

 be acquainted with the Peradeniya records of our time and feel 

 grateful to the present Director and Curator as in flying machines 

 they inspect the noble fruit with which they are provided through 

 the kindly foresight of their ancestors."^ 



Cultivation in Europe. — The cultivation of this palm in Europe 

 is still attended with difficulties. Seemann wrote in 1856 : — 



" After many unsuccessful attempts to introduce this palm into 

 our conservatories, one has at last met with complete success, and 

 the plant is now to be seen in the Royal Gardens at Kew. Ger- 

 minating nuts were disposed of in 1854 at public sales in London 

 for £ 10 apiece, but all of them have since died." 



The same disappointing difficulties were experienced in the 

 Botanic Gardens of Geoi'getown. Only three plants survived of 

 three dozen nuts which were imported from the Seychelles in the 

 year 1893. "The first dozen," writes Waby,^ "arrived dead; 

 eight had germinated en route, and the others failed to germinate ; — 

 having passed b}^ way of England during the winter was probably 

 the cause of the failure. Of the second dozen four germinated in 

 transit, and six did so afterwards, making 10, which arrived in good 

 condition; of the third dozen only five germinated. In 1898 eight 

 were alive, but were reduced to six during the next year. In 1902 

 five remained, and two subsequently died, leaving only the three 

 present plants." 



" Frequent attempts have been made to cultivate the Coco-de-mer 

 in European Botanic Gardens, but with little success. For some 

 years a plant, which, I think, was imported, existed in the Liverpool 

 Botanic Garden. And a young plant was raised and perhaps still 

 exists in the Jarclin des Flantes. In 1889 I began a prolonged 

 attempt to add it to the rich collection of palms at Kew. I was 

 energetically assisted by Mr. C. Button, who sent us repeated con- 

 signments of mature nuts. Many failed to germinate at all : others 

 did so, but only imperfectly ; others again sprouted satisfactorily, 

 but only to end their existence by disaster almost suicidal .... 



" At Kew the nuts were buried in coco-nut fibre in a hot-bed. 

 Germination once commenced, proceeded rapidly. Unfortunately 

 in at least one instance it proved abortive. Before the proceeding 

 could be detected, the growing apex managed to insinuate itself in 



i H. W. Cav3. The Book of Ceylon, London, 1908, p. 269. 

 ^ Kew Bull. a910), p. 256. 



