75 



Z.Tr^ rh'i '^ *?'"■ ^^''^ ^'^' ^f ^^^"^g yi^ld perfectly 

 sound and full-sized nuts. wliiV}. wT^or, ,,co^*'4^»X. ...^^ „„„ i.l 



germinate 



which, when used for seed, can W 



_ .^^. ^..^tutions m iNevis were started by Mr, Crum-Ewin^ in 

 the autumn of 1907 on old sugar-cane laud, wliich is almost at 

 sea-level. Ihe soil is a nice loam, gradually getting lighter until 

 it becomes pure sand on the sea-shore. 



:: The average rainfall for the years 1909-13 inclusive was 43-87 

 mcnes, but the deficiency is compensated for by the plentiful 

 underground supply of water draining from the high cone-shaped 



laountain 



Nevis. 



Jam 



Mr 



obtain nuts from the most healthy plantation in that Island. The 



10,305. 



number 



Western 



from 



feet 



comm 



saw one early m 1912, 4 years 4 months old, bearing 40 nuts. 

 Keapmg m any quantity, however, did not commence till 1913, 

 when the 1907 plants would be about 5 years 3 months old. 



From January 11, 1913, to June 30, 1914, the number of nuts 

 harvested amounted to 23,807. From January 11 to October 23, 

 1913, a 4 in. gauge was used, which resulted m 77-4 per cent, of 

 selects and 22-6 per cent, of culls- Both selects and culls were sent 

 to New York, where the market took both grades as select, paying 

 |42'50 per 1000, about the highest price which has been paid 

 for any cocoanuts in that city. Since October 23 a 3| in. gau^e 



Malay 



gauge of 3| in.), and of ihe 75,116 nuts gathered, 68,419 or 91-08 

 per cent, have been select, and 6697 or 8-92 per cent, ha^e been 

 culls. A selection is made in the field of the nuts while in the 

 husk, and it is found that 95 per cent, to 98 per cent, of these nuts 

 when husked are over the 3| gauge. 



In choosing nut^ for seed, greater care is bestowed on selection, 

 than when husking and selling raw nuts is contemplated, so that 

 the percentage of standard nuts would be increased. A certain 

 number of trees are known not to give such a good percentage of 

 selects, although the unhusked nuts from them look good. When 

 selecting nuts for seed none are taken from these trees, which 

 still further reduces the percentage of culls. The rots will not of 

 course germinate, so that of the sprouts taken from the nursery, 

 it may safely be assumed that nearly 100 per cent, are from nuts 

 over the 3| in. standard. 



put of 1000 seed nuts sent to Demorara in July, 1913, it vmn 

 reported on February 28, 1914, that 89 per cent, of these had 

 germinated, that the others seemed quite good, and that more 

 wei^p expected to grow. In March, 1913, 50 nuts irere planted 

 ^standing up and 50 on their sides by way of experiment iii Nevis. 

 On October 24, 1913, it was reported that out of the 50 on their 

 9ides 46, or 92 per cent., had^ germinated, and of those standing up 

 only 30 or 60 per cent, had germinated. 



