690 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XX. 



between seeds in the rows. The bed should then be watered 

 every second day or so for the first three or four months and after that 

 every week for a second period of similar duration ; thenceforward 

 the palms should be irrigated every month in the hot weather and 

 every two months in the cold weather. 



" The seedlings may be transplanted from April to September 

 after reaching the age of three years. Preferably they should be 

 left in the seed-bed until they flower. This in good soil may occur 

 six to ten years after sowing — the shorter period being sufficient in 

 a locality where the average temperature is high. When the flowers 

 appear and then only the sex can be determined with certainty ; 

 the superfluous males may, therefore, now be weeded out and aban- 

 doned. During the process of transplantation the largest leaves of 

 the seedlings should be cut off at a distance of about 2 feet from 

 their bases. Special attention is called to the fact that though the 

 adult palm requires water of irrigation only at long intervals or not 

 at all if the subsoil is kept constantly moist by natural sub-irriga- 

 tion, the seed will not germinate or the seedling survive unless 

 water is present in abundance." 



As one male tree will, under cultivation, suffice for the fertiliza- 

 tion of about 100 females, it is evident that propagation by seeds 

 is not to be recommended. The only rational method is by means 

 of offshoots. 



These are suckers arising from the base of the stem when the 

 tree is between about 6 and 1 6 years old. Offshoots borne on male 

 trees will give rise to male trees, and on female trees, females. The 

 fruit will be of the same quality as that of the parent palm. 



When the offshoots are from 3 to 6 years old they are separated 

 from their parent with an ordinary hatchet by means of a cut 

 parallel to the stem. The large leaves are removed and only the 

 bud and young leaves are left on the rootless stump. April 

 to September is probably the best time for the removal of the 

 suckers in India. " The offshoots should be planted in rows 

 25 feet apart with similar intervals between plants in the row. 

 For this purpose holes 3 feet deep and the same distance in diameter 

 are made in the soil ; half of the excavated earth is mixed with its 

 own volume of farmyard manure with 4 or 5 lbs. of oil-cake and 



