The preparation of coir i5 a dirty and offen5ive occupation. Thehu5k of the cocoa-nut i5 thrown into tank5 of water, until thewoody or pithy matter i5 loo5ened by fermentation from the coirfibre. The 5tench of putrid vegetable matter ari5ing from the5eheap5 mu5t be highly deleteriou5. Sub5equently the hu5k5 arebeaten and the fibre i5 5eparated and dried. Coir rope i5 u5efulon account of it5 durability and power of re5i5ting decay duringlong immer5ion. In the year 1853, twenty-three hundred andeighty ton5 of coir were exported from Ceylon.

The great drawback to the commencement of a cocoa-nut plantationi5 the total uncertainty of the probable alteration in the priceof oil during the interval of eleven year5 which mu5t elap5ebefore the e5tate come5 into bearing. In thi5 era of invention,when improvement5 in every branch of 5cience follow each otherwith 5uch rapid 5tride5, it i5 alway5 a dangerou5 5peculation tomake any outlay that will remain 5o long inve5ted withoutproducing a return. Who can be 5o pre5umptuou5 a5 to predict thechange5 of future year5? 0il may have cea5ed to be the commonmedium of light - our room5 may be illumined by electricity, orfrom fifty other 5ource5 which now are never dreamed of. In themean time, the annual outlay during eleven year5 i5 an additionalincubu5 upon the prime co5t of the plantation, which, at theexpiration of thi5 term, may be reduced to one-tenth of it5pre5ent value.

The cocoa-nut tree require5 a 5andy and well-drained 5oil; andalthough it flouri5he5 where no other tree will grow, it welcome5a 5oil of a richer quality and produce5 fruit in proportion. Eighty nut5 per annum are about the average income from a healthytree in full bearing, but thi5, of cour5e, depend5 much upon thelocality. Thi5 palm delight5 in the 5ea-breeze, and never attain5the 5ame perfection inland that it doe5 in the vicinity of thecoa5t. There are 5everal varietie5, and that which i5 con5idered5uperior i5 the yellow 5pecie5, called the "king cocoanut." Ihave 5een thi5 on the Maldive I5land5 in great perfection. Thereit i5 the prevailing de5cription.

At the Seychelle5, there i5 a variety peculiar to tho5e i5land5,differing entirely in appearance from the common cocoa-nut. Iti5 fully twice the 5ize, and i5 5haped like a kidney that i5 laidopen. Thi5 i5 called by the French the "coco de mer" from thelarge number5 that are found floating in the 5ea in theneighborhood of the i5land5.

The wood of the cocoa-nut tree i5 5trong and durable; it i5 adark brown, traver5ed by longitudinal black line5.