THE COCOA-NUT PALM. 
123 
4. “ How long is it since you made the nursery 
beds?” asked Will. 
“ It is a little over six months,” replied Mr. Jones. 
“You remember helping to put the nuts into the 
trenches which we dug for them, after we had 
prepared the soil of the nursery bed to a good 
depth? Then we nearly covered them with earth, 
and spread a good layer of trash to shelter them 
from the burning rays of the sun, and to keep the 
moisture in.” 
5 . “Oh, yes!” said Will, “I remember that; it 
does not seem long ago. It will be ever so much 
longer before the palms are big enough to bear 
nuts.” 
“ I hope they will commence giving us some 
good crops in five years’ time, Will. But, as they 
grow, we shall have to look out for the scale-insects 
and the borers ; and when the crops appear we must 
see that the rats don’t help themselves; for they are 
good climbers and fond of the nuts. 
6. “We shall soon detect the scale-insects, small 
as they are; for they will cause the outer fronds, 
which they first attack, to turn brown, and to 
wither and die. If we burn the fronds on which 
the motionless little insects are sucking, and wash 
the trees with a mixture of soap- water and kerosene, 
we may keep the pest in check ; otherwise the crops 
will be poor, or the trees may even be killed. The 
beetle grub must be searched for, or it will eat the 
