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some three hundred), he stated that from the lot he averaged 20 nuts at 

 a picking, five times a year, a total of 100 nuts; that the crop of these 

 was very fluctuating, some years falling to 60 nuts, again running as high 

 as 130. The especially prized tree did not vary appreciably. In very dry 

 seasons the nuts shrunk somewhat in size and the copra in weight, but 

 the yield of nuts never fell below 200, and only once had amounted to 

 220. He had raised a great number of seedlings, but it had never 

 occurred to him to select for planting the nuts from that particular tree. 



PLANTING. 



We have pointed out the necessity of selecting seed trees of known good 

 bearing habits, and equal care should be exercised in selecting those the 

 nuts of which are well formed and uniform. This precaution will suggest 

 itself when one observes that some trees have the habit of producing a 

 few very large nuts and many of very small and irregular size and shape, 

 and it is obviously to the planter's interest to lend no assistance to the 

 propagation and transmission of such traits. In view of what has been 

 previously stated, it is almost superfluous earnestly to recommend plan- 

 ters to sow no seeds from young trees. The principle for this conten- 

 tion that no seed should be selected except from trees of established, 

 well-known fruiting habits would seem to cover the ground effectually. 



The best seed should be selected and picked when perfectly mature and 

 lowered to the ground. The fall from a lofty tree not infrequently cracks 

 the inner shell, without giving any external evidence of the injury. A 

 seed so injured will never sprout and therefore is worthless for seed 

 purposes. 



Freshly collected seed nuts contain in the husk more moisture than is 

 required to effect germination, and if planted in this condition, decay is 

 apt to set in before germination occurs. To avoid this the natives tie 

 them in pairs, sling them over bamboo poles where they are exposed to 

 the air but sheltered from the sun, and leave them until well sprouted. 

 It is, however, more expeditious to pile the nuts up in small heaps of 

 eight to ten nuts, in partial shade, where the surface nuts may be 

 sprinkled occasionally to prevent complete drying out. 



Germination is very erratic, sometimes occurring within a month and 

 sometimes extending over four, five, or more months. When the young 

 shoot or plumule (see illustration) has fairly thrust its way through the 

 fibrous husk it is a good practice to go over the heaps and segregate those 

 that have sprouted, carefully placing them so that the growing tip be not 

 deformed or distorted by the pressure of superincumbent nuts. When 

 these sprouts are 30 to 50 cm. high, and a few roots have thrust through 

 the husk, they are in the lest possible condition for permanent planting. 



First. The original preparation of the land should be good and the 

 surface tilth at the time of planting irreproachable ; i. e., free from weeds 



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