74 MOZAxMBIQUE 



out at seven nuts per tree. On one occasion I 

 watched three trees close together while 450 nuts 

 were gathered from them, and from which four 

 gatherings were obtained per annum. Pursuing 

 the fashion of enthusiasts, I might have con- 

 cluded from this that the plantation gave a 

 mean output of 600 nuts per tree per annum 

 had I not known from the records extending 

 over several years that the average was actually 

 only eighteen. Appearances, again, are often very 

 misleading, because in unsuitable locaHties trees 

 often shed their nuts before they are ripe, not 

 having the strength to bring them to maturity. It 

 by no means follows that trees that carry heavy 

 spikes are going to give heavy crops. The ground 

 should be carefully examined for fallen unripe nuts. 

 Cocoanuts can be grown much more cheaply at 

 Inhambane than at Quelimane, the land being 

 much less expensive to work ; and provided the 

 trees are cultivated and that the owner lives on the 

 plantation himself, or places a vigilant and rehable 

 man in charge, cocoanut-growing will undoubtedly 

 pay in Inhambane on selected areas near the 

 coast. It would be quite useless to attempt them 

 beyond a limit of 8 or 10 kilometres from the 

 sea. Predial larceny is an evil that is worse than 

 any insect pest, and can never be completely put 

 down. Every cocoanut planter should make up 



