260 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



August 16, 1913. 



FRUITS AND FRUIT TREES. 



COHUNE NUTS FROM BRITISH 

 HONDURAS. 



An article on tbe above subject, appearing in a recent 

 issue of the Bulletin of the Imperial Institute (April-June 

 1913), is of particular interest in connexion with a report 

 published in the A'jrictdtural News (Vol. XII, p. 180), 

 describing similar investigations by the Imperial Institute 

 into the commercial value of gru-gru nuts. 



Cohuno nuts are borne in large bunches, and each tree 

 is said to yield 1,000 to 2,000 nuts per annum. The kernels 

 are rich in oil; but so far they have not been utilized on 

 a commercial scale, chiefly ovping to the difficulty of cracking 

 the very hard shells which surround them. 



An examination of ditt'erent samples showed that the 

 cohune kernel fat resembles very clo.sely both coco-nut oil 

 and palm kernel oil, but it is generally of somewhat softer 

 consistency. Since the oil of the gru-gru nut is stated to 

 resemble closely palm kernel fat, it would appear to follow 

 that the crhune nut fat resembles the gru-gru nut fat. 



An interesting feature connected with the cohune 

 nut is the existence of a fibrous layer, which contains 

 from about 9 to 20 per cent, of fat. The possibility of 

 utilizing the oil in this tissue in British Honduras would 

 only be feasible if a plant for the extraction of fat 

 by solvents were installed. As regards their purtly 

 economic characters, it is .stated that if cohune kernels were 

 shipped to Europe in commercial quantities, they should 

 realize prices approximating to those of copra, the present 

 price of which is about £30 per ton (April 1913). Also the 

 fat of the cohune kernel should be worth about the same 

 price as palm kernel oil or coco-nut oil, the present values of 

 which in the United Kingdom are as follows: coco-nut oil 

 from £43 5s. to £50 \0s. per ton, and palm kernel oil 

 about £42 15s. per ton (April 1913). 



Oitrus Cultivation in Italy. — Useful data on the 

 cultivation of citrus fruit in the Province of Salerno are 

 presented in the Mnnlld;/ Bulletin of Agricultural Inlelliijence 

 find Plant //iseases (May 1913). It is stited in this that in 

 the Nocera district, the best citrus fruit groves are let at rents 

 reaching to £32 per acre. Oranges and tangerines are 

 cultivated most; they are planted in alternate rows, at the 

 rate of about 240 trees per acre, and they are often inter- 

 planted with walnuts (thirty-two to forty per acre). The 

 varieties of orange which incur tlie greatest favour are the 



flattened orange (Citrus Anrautiuiii depre'sum, Eisso), the 

 pear-shaprd orange (C. Aurantium ellipticnm, Risso), the 

 MaUuae, ana the blood orange. New York and England con- 

 .stiiute the chief markets for lemons; two-thirds of the oranges 

 and tangerines produced, are consumed in Italy; the rest are 

 sent chiefly to Austria-Hungary. The price of tangerines 

 ranges from 6*. to 12.5. per cwt., that of oranges from 

 2.5. \Qd. to 4.V per cwt., during December to March, and 

 from 7s. Zd. or 8s. to 12s and 16s. per cwt. in the 

 summer. The Nocera harvest lasts from December to 

 August. 



Fruit Growing in Tunis. — The following note has 

 been translated from the Bulletin de la Socic'te' Beige d' Etude 

 Coloniale (June 191."!). 



Although fruit cultivation and market-gardening 

 constitute, in Tunis, industries of secondary importance, 

 considerable areas of land are nevertheless planted with 

 almonds, lemons, oranges, figs and dates. In regard to 

 almond cultivation, it is the practice to plant sixty-nine trees 

 per hectare (about 21 acres), leaving a space of 12 metres 

 (about 40 feet) between the trunks. In years of good harvest, 

 1 acre is supposed to bring in a return of 345 francs 

 (about £14), which is about 5 francs per tree. This is rather 

 greater than the income derived from lemons, which is stated 

 to be from 200 francs (£8) to 300 francs (£12) per hectare 



In connexion with the cultivation of oranges and 

 tangerines, it is stated that these are mainly consumed 

 locally: such slight exports as do occur take place principally 

 during December and January. 



Bonuses for Coco-nut Cultivation.— .Accord- 

 ing to The Board of Trade Jotn-nal (June 26, 1913), 

 the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture has entered into 

 a contract with a view to encouraging the systematic cultiva- 

 tion of coco-nut palms and the exportation of copra. Certain 

 bounties are to be granted provided certain conditions 

 are adhered to, among which are the following: A report 

 giving full details as to cultivation must be pre- 

 sented at the end of the titst year; and a copra factory 

 must be established within two years to deal with the 

 produce of at least 7,410 acres. The -Minister of Agricul- 

 ture will endeavour to obtain duty free admission of all 

 machinery, and will also grant a premium up to a maxi- 

 mum aranunt of £2,000 per annum on the copra and coco-nut 

 oil exported. 



