MTSOBB AND COOEQ. 



333 



"1st red ; 2nd red mixd with green ; 3rd 

 light green ; and 4th dark green. These varieties 

 are permanent, but although the red is reckoned 

 somewhat better than the others, they' are commonly 

 sold promiscuously. Their produce is nearly the 

 same." Some additional varieties have recently 

 been introduced from Ceylon and constitute part of a 

 new plantation which is being formed in the Palace 

 Gardens at Bangalore. Good local topes are also 

 found in the private gardens of Sir K. Sheshadri 

 Iyer, and Mr. C. Meenachshaiya. Young trees are 

 much infested by the rhinoceros beetle — Oryctes rhino- 

 ceros — a flying insect that settles on the palm during 

 the night, and bores large holes through the unopen- 

 ed crown, or what is usually called the cabbage 

 formation of the young palm, Careful hand- 

 picking is the surest remedy for this pest, which is 

 most destructive in young plantations, during the 

 dry season. 



Cultivation.— Although the cocoa-nut palm is 

 known to succeed best in a sandy soil near the sea, 

 yet it is widely cultivated in many insular parts of 

 Indiai up to an altitude of at least 3,000 feet. Deep 

 garden land of a sandy nature, having perennial 

 moisture at a few feet below the surface, answers 

 fairly well, but much depends on the temperature 

 and the amount of moisture contained in the air. 

 When entirely removed from the influence of the 

 sea-air, the tree requires additional care and is 

 usually much improved by an occasional top-dressing 

 of salt and other saline manures. Seedlings are 

 easily raised in nurseries, where the ripe nuts are 

 treated on the same principle as the betel-nut and 

 palmyra. When 15 inches high, they should be 

 transpla,nted into the field at 20 feet apart, although 

 in rich blac]£ soil, the tree attains large proportions 

 and is said to be most productive when planted at 



