rfectly mature and
lowered to the ground. The fall from a lofty tree not infrequently
cracks the inner shell, without giving any external evidence of the
injury. A seed so injured will never sprout and therefore is worthless
for seed purposes.

Freshly collected seed nuts contain in the husk more moisture than
is required to effect germination, and if planted in this condition,
decay is apt to set in before germination occurs. To avoid this the
natives tie them in pairs, sling them over bamboo poles where they are
exposed to the air but sheltered from the sun, and leave them until
well sprouted. It is, however, more expeditious to pile the nuts up in
small heaps of eight to ten nuts, in partial shade, where the surface
nuts may be sprinkled occasionally to prevent complete drying out.

Germination is very erratic, sometimes occurring within a month
and sometimes extending over four, five, or more months. When the
young shoot or plumule (see illustration) has fairly thrust its way
through the fibrous husk it is a good practice to go over the heaps
and segregate those that have sprouted, carefully placing them so
that the growing tip be not deformed or distorted by the pressure
of superincumbent nuts. When these sprouts are 30 to 50 cm. high,
and a few roots have thrust through the husk, they are in the best
possible condition for permanent planting.

First. The original preparation of the land should be good and the
surface tilth at the time of planting irreproachable; i. e., free
from weeds and so mellow that the soil can be closely and properly
pressed around the roots by hand.

Second. The orchard should be securely protected from the invasion of
cattle, etc. It is sometimes impossible to protect orchards against
entry of these animals. If the success of these precautions can not
be assured, then the nuts had better be grown in a closely protected
nursery until about a year old, when the albumen of the seed will be
completely assimilated and will therefore no longer attract vermin,
and when the larger size of the plant will give it more protection
from stray cattle.

In either case planting should be made concurrently with the opening of
the rainy monsoon, during which season further field operations will
not be required except when an intermittent, drier period indicates
the advisability of running the cultivator.

The planting "pit" fetish, in such common use in India, has nothing
to commend it. If stable ma