68 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



February 27, 1904. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



AN ABNORMAL COCOA-NUT. 



In the A(jrical(ur(il Btdh'tln of the Straits 

 St'ttlements for October last, Mr. T. F. Weld, District 

 (Jfficer at Kwala Selangor, gives the following interest- 

 ing account of an abnormal cocoa-nut found in that 

 colony : — 



At Assam .Java, Kwala Selaugor, there is a iilantation 

 of cocoa-nuts whicli contains two trees of great jieculiarity. 

 Instead of the bunches of flowers, which ajipear on the 

 ordinary cocoa nut tree, are found shoots wlticli jut out from 

 the tree not unlike the spike of a nipa [lalni. As the so-called 

 spike grows, the cocoa-nuts tiieinselves, without any .show of 

 flower whatsoever, appear in line along the whole length of 

 the .shoot somewhat like the fruit on a bunch of ' rambai,' 

 but quite close together. As the inits swell, the number, 

 which at first might amount to fifty on one shoot, is gradually 

 lessened as they fall ott' before waturit}'. In the end there 

 probably remain some seven or eight nuts only on each 

 shoot, of which there may be ap|iarently about the same 

 number as an ordinary cocoa-nut tree has branches of 

 flowers. The natives here have never heard of any similar 

 trees except these two and they call them ' nyor-nipa.' 



FRUIT AND NUTS AS FOOD. 



Inditiii Plaiitiiii/ iiiiil 0(1 1'dciii lUj of November 

 21 gives an account of e.xperiments conducted by the 

 United States Department of Agriculture to determine 

 the dietary value of different foods. The e.xperiments 

 in question were condiicted during the space of two 

 years by Prof. Jaffa, of the University of Calilornia. 

 The Ibllowing extract is of interest as indicating the 

 food value of nuts and fruit, and more especially of 

 pea nuts, or ground nuts as they are usuall}' called 

 in the West Indies: — 



The fare given in these experiments was in every case 

 one that would ap[)eal to any normal ajipetite. It embraced 

 honey, tomatos, ai>ples, bananas, grai>es, pears, pomegranates, 

 persimmons, oranges, strawberries, watermelons, figs, almonds, 

 j)ea nut butter, etc. Tlie only animal foods allowed were 

 cottage cheese and eggs, and these in limited quantities. 

 The cost of such a diet varied from 1.5c. to 18c. a d&y. 

 It was found that the food eaten sui)plied about 60 per cent, 

 of the protein usually secured by the average meat diet, 

 ■while health and strengtli contiimed the same, if they did not 

 improve, and in two or three cases there was a slight gain 

 in flesh and weight. 



One of the chief objects of the series of experiments was 

 to furnish data as to the value of nuts as food. Fruits 

 contain little protein, and nuts are relied on in the fruitarian 

 plan of eating to balance the ration. Fruits are rich in 

 carbohydrates and nuts in fat. A pound of pea nuts, wliich 

 costs 7c., furnishes 1,000 calories of energy at a cost of 3ic., 

 and jirotein at a cost of 36c. per lb. 



The average price per B). of the [irotein of nuts ranges 

 higher than the corresponding average of meats, but the cost 

 [ler ft), of pea nut protein is lower than for meats, fish, eggs, 

 milk, dairy products, and prepared cereals. The only foods 

 which furnish protein at a less cost than ])ea nuts are flour 

 and dried beans. According to Professor .Jafl'a's experiments, 

 nuts are the chea|iest source of energy for the fruitarian, the 

 pea nut ranging far ahead of any other kind. 



Although }iea nuts su])}ily protein and energy for a 

 smaller sum than bread, thej' are outranked by dried beans, 

 which at .")c. ]ier It), will supply for 10c. over 200 grains of 

 protein and 3,010 calories of energj\ 



NUMBER OF PLANTS TO THE ACRE. 



The f 



Illi.lWinir 



table, showing tiie number of jjlants 

 to the acre when planted at various distances, and the 

 area, in square feet, available for each plant, is 

 reproduced from Tropical Ac] v'u- alt lire for convenience 

 of reference : — 



