60 THE PLANT WORLD 



Matdguak. On the finca of Dona Rufina Quitugua we saw a fine grove 

 of vigorous young coconut trees. Those on Father Palonio's plantation 

 just beyond were too closely crowded. The trees were spindling and the 

 fruit small. At the foot of the Sabana of Matdguak, where there is a 

 small river and the ground is moist, we found an excellent piece of land 

 which is apparently rich in clay ; and on our way back to the Yigo 

 road we passed through much fine coffee and fairly good cacao. The 

 finest coconut plantation of this part of the island belongs to Manuel 

 Matanane, the son of Juan San Nicolas. In this the trees are very far 

 apart and the intervening land has been cultivated for catch crops of 

 maize and sweet potatoes. It was the intention of the owner to plant 

 cacao between the rows, but he abandoned the idea. The coconuts though 

 very young were large and vigorous ; some of them had begun to bear 

 when three years old, while in other good localities five years is the usual 

 age. The natives think these trees are too far apart. Usually trees are 

 planted on this island at a distance of 5 or 6 meters from one another ; 

 but 7 or even 9 or 10 meters are not too much. I noticed to-day that in 

 the plantations where the intervening ground is not cultivated the natives 

 are careful to keep the weeds clear for a radius of 2 meters about each tree, 

 allowing them to remain lying on the surface to mulch the ground. 



We had now reached the district called Yigo, near Mount Santa Rosa. 

 After a short visit to the fine ranch of Felix Perez, son of Don Gregorio, 

 where we saw excellent coffee, cacao, and coconuts, we proceeded to Don 

 Gregorio 's ranch. We arrived there about one o'clock, having walked at 

 least fifteen miles by the route we had followed. 



[to be continued.] 



Plant Wounds and Natural Pruning. 



By C. E. Waters. 



Perhaps we do not always remember, when we go into the woods, 

 that the trees with tall, clean trunks were not always so smooth and lofty, 

 but started as small plants with branches near the ground. How is it, 

 then, that there is so little evidence of those old branches when they 

 grow larger ? The tree must be able, in some way or other, to get rid of 

 them without injury to itself. This requires breaking the branch in some 

 way, in spite of the fact that perhaps the greatest danger to which a plant 

 or animal can be exposed is a wound by means of which bacteria may 

 enter and cause blood poisoning or decay, as the case may be. Every 

 healthy organism, whether plant or animal, is able to resist such attacks 

 for some time, which is not a bad thing for the bacteria, as otherwise it 



