172 Dr. Heifer's Fourth Report [No. 98. 



be exorbitant (about four per cent per annum net gain from 

 one tree), but the planter has the advantage of using the 

 ground without much reference to the arecas, as they derive the 

 greatest quantity of their nourishment from the air. 



In the course of time, the palm rises with its roots above 

 the ground, which latter are covered with mammillary varices, 

 constantly removing and absorbing during the night their ap- 

 propriate nourishment. 



The palm does not yield fruit before the seventh year, and 

 continues productive 25 or 30 years. After the first planting no 

 further trouble is requisite than to loosen the ground once or 

 twice a year, without the necessity of manuring or watering, 

 provided the young plants have shade the first and second year. 



The next to be done is the planting of coffee. Coffee is not 

 yet introduced in sufficient quantity to have a certain number of 

 seedlings available. Sprouting coffee seed ought to be procured 

 from Calcutta from the coffee reared in Mocha. Young coffee 

 plants can also be obtained from Penang at a very moderate 

 price, and they arrive in good health, the passage being short. 



Sprouting coffee must be laid out in a nursery, and the coffee 

 trees transplanted when at least a foot high. No particular care 

 is requisite, except that the roots are sunk vertically in the loos- 

 ened soil, the slightest curve of the tap root of the coffee pro- 

 ducing a sickly tree. 



The coffee is to be planted between two rows of arecas, 

 the lateral branches of the coffee extending far, and requiring 

 room for expansion. Between each 1000 arecas 500 coffee 

 trees can be planted without prejudice to the soil, as the 

 coffee tree sinks its roots deep in the ground, and thence de- 

 rives its nourishment. In the first instance the plantains afford 

 shelter to the coffee, in after years the crowns of the arecas. 

 Areca and coffee being planted, the attention is next to be di- 

 rected towards the spice trees. It being however problematical 

 whether clove trees will succeed, I confine my observations to 

 nutmegs. Twenty paces apart from each other, holes are to 

 be dug, at least four feet deep and 1 \ in diameter, and these are 

 afterwards to be filled with the best procurable earth, such as 

 humus, in preference to cow or buffalo dung mixed with earth, 



