46 



THB 00C0A1WT THEE . 



To this sum, interest will hate to be added, making 

 perhaps a sum total of Spanish dollars 6,000, and this 

 estimate will make each tree, up to its coming into hear* 

 m#, cost one Spanish dollar at the lowest. The young 

 rornunut tree requires manure, such as" putrid fish and 

 st imulating compounds, containing a portion of salt. 

 On the Coromandel Coast the natives put a handful 

 of salt below each nut on plaining it. 



The chief natural enemy of this tree is a species 

 of elephant-beetle, which begins by nibbling the 

 leaves into the shape of a fan ; it then perforates 

 the central pithy fibre, so that the leaf snaps off, and 

 lastly, it descends into the folds of the upper shoot, 

 where it bores itself a nest, and if not speedily 

 extracted, or killed, will soon destroy the tree. It has 

 been found impossible to cultivate the cocoanut 

 tree at Singapore, on account of the depredations 

 of this creature. 



In Penang and Province Wellesley, it has only been 

 observed, within the last two years, and is believed to 

 have come from Keddah. A similar kind of beetle is, 

 however, known on the Coromandel Coast, and it is 

 extracted by means of a long iron needle or probe, 

 having a barb like that of a fish-hook. By using 

 this and by pouring salt or brine on tlie top of the 

 tree, so as to descend amongst the folds of the upper 

 shoot, the evil may be prevented or got rid of. The 

 natives of Keddah say that this insect appears at 

 intervals of two, three or more years. The cultiva- 

 tors here adopt a very slovenly expedient for collect- 

 ing the fruit. Instead of climbing the tree in the 

 manner practised on the Coromandel Coast, by help 

 of a hoop passing round the tree and the body of the 

 climber, and a ligature so connecting the feet as to 

 enable him to clasp the tree with them, the Malays 

 cut deep notches, or steps, in the trunk in a zig-zag 



