63 



The type of Jenman's species is from British Guiana, but the 

 plant occurs also in Jamaica, Porto Rico, Florida, Mexico and 

 Guatemala. 



SELECTION OF SEED : COCO-NUTS. 



The coprah produced by i,000 Ceylon ordinary nuts is about 

 twice as much as that obtained from Seychelles nuts. This re- 

 sult has been obtained in tlie same soil, under tlie influence of the 

 same climate, and is entirely due to selection. It is to be hoped 

 that the discussion raised on the subject by the planters after their 

 having seen the nuts introduced from Ceylon may prove the be- 

 ginning of a careful selection of nuts for planting in Seychelles. 

 Many of them have already informed me that they have found on 

 their estates a few of their trees producing nuts similar to those 

 of Ceylon and that they intend keeping them for propagation. 

 It is probable that the trees which produce very small nuts have 

 less requirements than those which produce bigger nuts, and that 

 varieties which produce big nuts normally will bear smaller nuts 

 if they are starved out. But when one thinks of the very trifling 

 amount of plant food which is removed from the soil by coco- 

 nut cultivation, there seems to be no difficulty in supplying the 

 elements which are required to a greater extent by the big-nut 

 varieties. The planter must choose between having small nuts 

 without trouble and having double the crop by using proper me- 

 thods and selection. — Annual Colonial Report, 1904, Seychelles. 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Extracts from Minutes. 



The usual monthly meeting of the Board of Agriculture was 

 held on Tuesday, 13th February, at Headquarter House. Present : 

 the Director of Public Gardens, the Island Chemist, His Grace the 

 Archbishop, Messrs. C. A. T. Fursdon, C. E. deMercado, J. W. 

 Middleton, and the Secretary. 



The Secretary read an apology for absence from the Chairman, 

 Hon. H. C. Bourne, intimating that there was a meeting of the 

 Privy Council which he had to attend at the same hour, and asking 

 that Mr. Fawcett might take the chair. 



The Secretary read minutes of previous meeting which were 

 confirmed. 



The Archbishop asked leave to bring up a matter he had men- 

 tioned at last meeting, viz. : the question of a Jamaica Agent in 

 London to protect and facilitate their commercial interests. The 

 same matter had been discussed some years before by the Mer- 

 chants' Exchange and such an appointment had been approved of, 

 the only objection being lack of money. Mr. Middleton in 

 support of the proposal, moved that a Committee be appointed. 



The Chairman asked the Archbishop and Mr. Middleton to 

 form this Committee, and make a report to the Board on the 

 subject. 



