April i, 1895.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
669 
$oiit]espondonce. 
To the Editor. 
THE PLANTING OF COCONUTS : ON 
EDfiE OK SIDE.— No. I. 
Dear Sir, — A few lines for the information of 
your correspondent L.D. (see page 610), inquiring 
how coconuts should he laid in nursery. It is 
a matter of indifference as to whether the nuts are 
laid on their side or end, for they grow well either 
way. In making nurseries I have adopted both 
methods and have found no difference in the time 
taken for the shoot to appear. Some say that laid on 
the side, the germ is always kept moist by contact with 
the water in the nut, and germination and 
growth are hastened. This is a fallacy so far 
as the latter part of the statement is concerned. 
Like all other seeds, the cotyledon of 
the coconut nourishes the embryo plant ; but the 
coty.edon of the coconut being very large and fleshy 
it can support the young plant for four and live 
months (we often see coconuts slung over the 
branch of a tree with leaves a loot or more long). 
So toon as the germ begins to grow, it forms at its 
base a light spongy ball, which is really a congeries 
of minute librits ; this ball grows with the growth of 
the plant and is always in contact with the walls 
of the kernel, from which it draws its nourishment. If 
before this is all consumed, the plant is not put into 
the ground, it of course dies. 
It seems to me that nature has indicated that to 
lay the nat on it; enu is the correct way. The eye 
or germ is protected with a much softer substance 
than tnc cough fibre covering of the other part of 
the nut, and the fibres of it run perpendicularly, so 
that the snoot in making for tlie light — which it does 
instinctively, — witness the way, when the nut is laid i 
on its side, it lorces its way up through the husk j 
immediately it leaves the shell — meets with the 
minimum of opposition ; in this way too the stem 
grows stouter tnaii when it has to overcome the 
resistance and compression of the elastic fibrous husk. 
W. J. 
No. II. 
Feb. 20. 
Dbah Sir,— In reply to "L.D.'s" query, under 
the above heading, (see page CIO) I have got 
equally good results, under favourable conditions, Dy ! 
placing nuts with the stalk end upwards in the 
nursery as by laying them on their sides but I prefer 
the latter method and consider it safer for this 
reason. When thii "capsule" at the stalk end drops 
off, it lays bare a depression in the husk directly 
above the "eye" of the nut through which the young j 
shoot issues. 
This depression is comparatively a tender spot in ! 
the husk and moisture would enter through it more 
easily than elsewhere. 
Therefore, if the nuts be placed vertically with 
only the spaces between them filled with soil, water j 
would be caught in the depression and, if super- 
abundant as in long-continued wet weather, the germ 
would be endangered. 
Further, do we not follow nature's direction in 
placing the nuts on their sides for that is the posi- 
tion in which tiny lie naturally When they fall tiom 
the tree ? — Truly yours, G. N. 
No. III. 
DuAJI .-mil - My tiuta are always licit! horizontally : 
my late Superintendent believing in keeping the 
" e>vs ' moist, as uu aid to germination. I have not 
departed from bin practice, ami would prefer a 
■slanting position— say an angle of 45 to a vertical, 
jyith the uyq up,— iQura truly, Y> 
CHICKENS AND CHICKEN DISEASE. No I. 
March 8. 
Dear Sib,— I would be much olliged to any of 
vour readers who have successfully tjjt-ati d chickens 
for Ci icken-pox, if they would kindly pu dish f<cir 
reir.edy for same. 
I lose hundreds of chickens every year from 
c' icken-pox, and ha- e bet n in successful with every 
rei.iedy that I tried.- Yours &c. DESPAIR. 
No. II. 
March 9th. 
Dear Sir, — In reply to the inquiry made by "Des- 
pair " as to what is the best remedy for the treat- 
ment of chickens for chicken-pox, 1 have found the 
following very successful : — Wash the eyes twice a 
day with warm water, wipe them dry, and then apply 
wood ashes mixed with coconut oil. — I shall be glad 
to kuow whether "Despair "is successful with this 
remedy. — Yours &c. M. 
No. III. 
March 13. 
DiiAR Sir, — In reply to the inquiry made by "Des- 
pair" as to what is the nest remedy for the treat- 
ment oi chicKens, for chicken pox, r have found a 
weak solution oi J eye's fluid applied to the affected 
part a sure cure. Ui course, it the bird cannot see 
to feed itseit it must be fed oy nand. I have treated 
young turkeys as 1 describe and nave never lost one, 
Jeyes Hum acts as a disinfectant at the same time 
and prevents the disease uom spreauing. — Yours 
faithfully, T. T. M. 
COLON i t J^A'L'ivl AxSD UEETLES. 
Du.ui Sir, — On page 732, Vol. Xlli., a practical 
planter wrote •■ i am making an experiment 
witn a view to saving someol my paiins attacked by the 
weevil, by taking tne trees in hand early, betore the 
grub nas unu time to do irreparable naini, Gigging out 
uie larva, uuu slopping tne cavity with clay, alter 
applying a mixuue ol coal-tar and keio^ine oil. 
Keauit will be reported m due time." 
l do not rememoer to n.ive seen any report of the 
results. Vvili your correspondent kindly give them 
and oolige. — lour s lanliluiiy. 
ANUTnJiK ONE INTERESTED. 
THE MOON IN SCOTLAND. 
Dkar Sir, — 1 suppose " Cosmopolite " will look for 
Borne notice being taken oi ins backing of his 
lnend. uut me aaK nun what value he tuinns can ne 
attached to ins— or auyuooy eise s — laying down the 
law uy mere personal insertions ? Uy such p end- 
ing " Cosniup onte " maj succeed m convincing 
" Cosmopolite, and he may strengtnen tne 
meniai liiuuule oi tne thousands wiio alrtauy 
"know" tne ".facts " as well as he does him- 
self, and to whom therciore lie can teach nothing. 
Whetner it do cutting timber in moonlight, ri pcnnig 
coffee, niismng tea, cutting our nails and nair, 
reuueuing tue harvest, iVc., — and 1 have uo doubt 
"Cosmopolite" could learn many more like " ster- 
ling litcts " from his neighbouring peasantry, — all 
these auvocates sing the same song : " it is a well- 
known laet," "it is no new theory," i&o., Ac. So it 
was ••wen-Known' not so long a^o, that "witches" 
aoouuueu, and nad to he burnt; that lortunes could 
be tela ; uxeams he interpreted ; to have doubted 
all ot Which 1 , then!, wouiu have ^umihed the 
bcLplic lor an asyiuin. bo it would be now, and is 
wun your " Agricoias " ami jour "Cosmopolites," — 
ant tneir number is legion — Out for science that 
demtnus proot. Has "cosmopolite" seen any at- 
testeu record of the moonshine m Scotland as 
coiiipitreii with other years. If so, lot's have 
tno taolc. " U, but it's a wed-known fact 
that everybody knows" Ac. ttc. tint such 
asortious to meet the demands of soretfoe ..ro silly 
I ulU childish, and utterly valueless. It would jjq 
