er oil and
better coir, than when left to shrivel up and fall from the tree.

Colonel Low, in his "Dissertation on Pinang," gives some interesting
details and statistics on coco-nut planting:--

On a rough estimate--for an actual enumeration has not been lately
taken--the total number of _bearing trees_ in Pinang may be stated
at 50,000, and those in Province Wellesley at 20,000; but very large
accessions to these numbers have of late years been made. The tree
is partial to a sandy soil in the vicinity of the sea, and Province
Wellesley offers, therefore, greater facilities, perhaps, for its
cultivation than Pinang does, as its line of clear beach is longer,
and has many narrow slips of light or sandy land lying betwixt the
alluvial flats inland. There are several kinds of this tree known
here; one has a yellowish color, observable both on the branches and
unripe fruit; its branches do not droop much. A second has green
spreading branches, more drooping than the former, the fruit being
green colored until ripe; this is, perhaps, the most prolific; it
also bears the soonest, if we except the dwarf coco-nut, which
fruits at the second or third year, before the stem has got above
one foot high. This last kind was brought from Malacca; it attains
in time to the height of the common sort. Its fruit is small and
round, and of course less valuable than the other sorts. There is
also a coco-nut so saturated with green, that the oil expressed from
its kernel partakes of that color.

It is a mistaken supposition that the coco-nut tree will flourish
without care being taken of it. The idea has been induced by the
luxuriant state of trees in close proximity to houses and villages,
and in small cove's where its roots are washed by the sea. In such
circumstances, a tree, from being kept clear about the roots, from
being shaded, and from occasional stimuli, advances rapidly to
perfection; but in an extended plantation, a regular and not
inexpensive system of culture must be followed to ensure success.

The nuts being selected, when perfectly ripe, from middle-aged trees
of the best sorts, are to be laid on the ground under shades, and
after the roots and middle shoots, with two branches, have appeared,
the sooner they are planted the better. Out of 100 nuts, only
two-thirds, on an average, will be foun