PALMS 91 



of the next one, in all about twelve or fourteen 

 months. The young palms are now removed from 

 the nursery and planted out in the ground which, 

 during the dry weather, and while they have been 

 slowly germinating, has been prepared by weeding, 

 by the removal of tree-roots, and by the digging of 

 shallow pits for their reception. The young palm's 

 transfer from the nursery to the plantation should 

 coincide with the first appearance of the summer 

 rains, and, to produce the best results, they should 

 be placed not less than seven to ten yards, or even 

 a little more, apart. Thereafter all that is 

 necessary is to keep them carefully weeded and 

 clean, and to deposit a little coarse salt at long 

 intervals near the roots, so that rain water, or 

 other moisture, may dissolve and carry it down to 

 them. 



There are few, if any, members of the palm 

 families so beautiful or so characteristic of a tropical 

 landscape as the coconut, and, as I have stated, 

 none more remunerative when once the full 

 bearing stage is reached. There is no portion of 

 this majestic growth which is not serviceable, and 

 scarcely any which is not valuable ; but httle room 

 for wonder can there be, therefore, that the East 

 African coast is fringed with groves of coconut 

 palms for many hundreds of miles. It is said of 

 this species that it will never mature outside the 

 influence of the sea-breeze ; but, in spite of this 

 oft-repeated statement, I have a perfect recollection 

 of a particularly fine and well-grown specimen 

 which used to furnish (and probably still does) an ex- 

 cellent leading mark to the vessels making the port 



