40 

 shoots are a few inches long, the^'- are taken donn and placed 

 in a nursery till transplanted, Stich plants are seldom lost, 

 and raake no great delay in yielding fruit. Once the tender 

 shoots begin to appear, no great care is necessary for manuring, 

 hut the greatest attention should he given that no cattle or 

 insect, etc., injure the shoot itself, else the slightest "blow 

 or abrasion will cause a vraxit of vigor ; hut on the other hand, 

 soToe suppose that unless either ashes alone, or mixed with salt 

 and sand, or these separately, he applied to the plants, every 

 month, a want of color will be visible in the opening leaves, 

 or ants and other destructive insects will be fostered. 

 Plants are removed for transplanting generally in the second 

 or third month, sometimes even in the ninth month, but rarely 

 so late as the fifth month ; but in ordinary cases, if they 

 be transplanted six months after the shoot makes its first 

 appearance, their safe growth and vigor may be looked for. In 

 low- lying lands, however, it is preferable to have plants of 

 one year's growth, though they are. more difficxilt in managing. 

 The only benefit to be expected in transplanting older plants 

 is that the planter looks for an earlier return, and in plant- 

 ing these on the banks of the rivers or low lands formed from 

 the wash of the monsoons, the crops will not be deficient. 

 Plants left too long in the nursery, and then removed are apt 

 to have the fibrous supports at the foot of the fronds decay, 

 so that these hang down, wither, and dry up, and nev/ fronds and 

 leaves do not make their appearance for four or more months, 



