134 



THE COCO-NUT 



CHAP. 



deliberately planted in this way because they were on 

 wet land, and it was desired to put the younger trees 

 where they would not be injured by the rise of the 

 ground water. With proper handling such trees can 

 be made to develop rapidly and produce reasonably 

 well. But such a situation is not one to be recom- 

 mended where the planter has freedom of choice. 



Keference has already been made to the desirability 

 of filling vacancies, which are bound to occur from one 

 cause or another in every growing grove. The Ceylon 

 planters of highest repute are said to make it their 

 regular practice to fill all vacancies which occur in 

 groves up to eight or even ten years old. It is very 

 important that trees which are transplanted to fill these 

 vacancies should be at least as advanced in their develop- 

 ment as the general stand of trees in the grove. The care 

 which can well be taken in transplanting trees which have 

 already reached a considerable size is again a business 

 question which must be settled after a consideration of 

 the local cost of labour and of the distance which the 

 trees must be moved, and the probable necessity and 

 ease of watering them after transplanting. 



Under all conditions, there should be transplanted 

 with such a tree a ball of earth so large that no roots 

 need be cut so as to leave them less than 30 centi- 

 metres long. If it can practically be done, they should 

 be left longer than this, but by the time the coco-nut 

 becomes four years old it is a good load if accompanied 

 by even a small ball of earth. The most of the leaves 

 should be cut off, leaving not more than the two or 

 three youngest ones. If a larger mass of earth can be 

 transplanted, it will be safe to let more leaves remain 

 on the tree; and recovery from transplanting will of 

 course be quicker in this case. The hole to receive the 

 tree should be made considerably bigger than the ball 

 of earth, which is transplanted and the extra space should 

 be filled with fine, well-weathered and very rich ground 

 which must be packed firmly into place. Care must be 

 taken that there is no opportunity for the roots of such 



