260 



THE AGRICULTUBAL NEWS. 



August 11, 1915. 



FRUIT AND FRUIT TREES. 



MEASURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF 



A COCO-NUT ESTATE. 



In bis n v. iii book "ii the < loco nut, n-\ iewed 



in this Volui ii page 5, Or. Copeland describes 



work thai lms been directed 1>\ him with a view 

 to determining, 1>\ means 6i measurements, the 

 rate of development oi anj coco-nut grove. It "ill 

 be readily realized thai the successful application of 

 a scientific method such as this, would be a distincl 

 advance on the presenl system of reporting, based 

 on personal opinion, The following is Dr. Copeland's 

 account of what has been done: — 



During the past four years I haw had made by students 

 in the Philippine College of Agriculture a verj extensive 

 set of determinations of the rate- ol growth ol coco nut lea^ 

 The total number of determinations of this kind to date is 

 ween ninety and one hundred thousand. The work is 

 intended to give each studenl thorough first-hand knowledge 

 of the rate at which the leaves of the coco-nuts may be 

 expected to grow, of the influence ol treatment, weathei 

 conditions, etc., upon the rate of growth, to qualify him to 

 determine, by measurements of the rate of growth, the con 

 dition of coco-nut trees, or plantations, and their probable 

 future production, and to give him such technical expertness 

 that he ear make these determinations rapidly and accu 

 rately. The trees at the College ol Agriculture are on land 

 which is not well adapted to this crop. The soil is shallow 

 ami heavy, and there is not at all times a proper supply of 

 ground water. Moreover, the trees were largely infested by 

 beetles when the land w is purchased, and such trees m 

 grow as rapidly as healthy ones would grow. Sine- of the 

 trees were about ready to come intg bearing when the land 

 was bought, but others were so young that they have not 

 yet come to maturity. The average of all the determin itions 

 which have been made hen- would therefo be a fair 



figui'- as an indication of what ought to be expected from 

 coconuts. In one of the groves which is best situated, and 

 in which thc> sound trees are now in bearing, then' are 

 groups of trees in which the average growth of the youn 

 visible leaf is more than I centimetres a day. I believe that 

 this figure may he taken as what ought to be expected of 

 any coco-nuts on a tolerably well situated and managed 

 estate. 



Really good conditions oi management will give highei 

 figures than this. Thus, the nine trees observed by one 

 student for the week ending November 25, 1911, showed tin- 

 following growth in millimetres 324,399,390, 127,3 

 345, 338, 375, 115. Tree No. i. to choose one at random, 

 showed the following growth at weekly intervals from 

 August 24, 1911, to Kebruarj 28, 1912 116, 319, 217, 

 91, 162, l II. 122, 127, 103, 106, 798 (two 

 ks), 387, 367, 360, 349, 357, 347, 349, 351, 352, 

 382, 384, 



I' g] ' di ial.lv more slowly than do 



adi.i I re is a pi in the ral 



growth fr the time thai young trees are first well 



in mi qI pi ici i, at lea I he time 



that they c ■ into lull fruit. It is probable thai 



average rate in agrove tinues to inci | I ihis 



time, but on this point there are n i observations. Then 

 likewise no determinations of the rate ol growth on the 



leaves of very old trees, bul there is loubt that such leaves 



grow more slowy. Ob "shallow and, therefore, dry soil, the 

 growi 1 1 is constantly less rapid thm where the soil i- deeper 

 and moister. We have patches oi trees in which the 

 average rate of growth is not more than 25 millimetres a day. 

 Such to i years later than do 



tree- 23 metres away on lowei and deeper ground. 



There is a natural and verj evident relation between 

 the rate of growth of the leaves and thi amount of produc-' 



t ion of fruit. The rat. iwth ean he determined for 



most purposes within a few days so as to gel an iverage foi 

 grove- of considerable size To gel positive and reliable 

 information as to the rate of prodm tion requires observations 

 extending over many months. The easiest way in which one 

 can secure reliable informatioi as I • the condition of a grove 

 is, therefore, by determination of thi trowth. This 



can be dom in several differenl ways. The method which 



has proved most satisfactory is by drawing marks with 



Indian ink across the bases ol the youngest and nexi 

 youngest leaf, making one mark, half of which is on each 

 leaf. The difference in height oi the two halves of this 

 mark, after one day or one week, shows the difference in 

 rate of growth of the two leaves. A similar mark is placed 



on the In f tin- next to the youngest leaf, called No. 2, 



and the third youngest, called No. 3. The break in 

 tin- murk after a day or a week shows the difference 

 in growth between these two leaves. Similarly the 

 difference between the growth ol leaf No. 3 and leaf 

 No. I. of leaf No. 1 and leal No. 5, and of leaf No. •"> 

 and leaf No. 6, is determined. The lowest mark, which 

 remains unbroken, will be on the two youngest leaves which 

 have ceased to grow. The sum of the observed breaks in the 

 marks is the growth of the y mngest leaf for the period in 

 question. 



On active trees at least fout gh always to show 



growth. It is common for five leaves to grow, but rare for 



six leave- to do SO at the Same time. The yoiiuge-l two 



leaves frequently mow at the same rale. Successive older 

 grow progressively more slowly, so tha< the oldest one 



which grows at all grows very -lowly indeed. Growth is 

 always more rapid during the night than during the day. 



The difference between night and da} is much -more marked 

 in unsuitably dry weather than it is when the trees are well 

 supplied with watei I hi effect ofdroughl is likewise greater 



on young trees than on adult ones, an I the differ 

 between night and day i.- greater in younger trees when they 



are unduly dry than it is in older tree-. Extreme drought 



brings a practical cessation of the growth ol young seedlii 



Some Experiments in Pine-apple Planting. — 

 Experiments have i i d ted at the Philippine College 



ol Agriculture with the following objects: (1) to test the 

 varieties known elsewhere in the islands side by side with the 

 varieties formerly grown hen-. (2) to compare planting in 



furrows and on ridges; t ;; > to test the effect oi irrigation; 



i Ii to determine the effect ol certain manure-: (5) to 

 of growth; (6) to i pare ratoons, suckers, 



CrOW us as planting 3l 



It I , found as a result, that pine ipples planted 

 1 by I metre have sufficient space for i a, md then 



is no overcrowding in the plant-. Thi- disl ince may be 

 ■: i , ed in the tows if desired Theleavesat the butt of 



the plant should be pulled off bel planting. This permits 



better rooting and ealiec growth. The toll,, wing varieties are 

 re, mended a- very suitable for being grown on ridges: 



