CHAPTER V 



MANAGEMENT OF THE CROP 



Age of the Coconut Tree. The tree arrives at 

 full maturity at twenty-five years and endures 

 for about one hundred years, and from the sixth 

 year it should bear fruit all its lifetime. The 

 age of a tree is decided by the number of scar 

 rings which appear on the stem at the rate of 

 two per annum. 



Crops. The yield of nuts depends much on 

 soil, climate, and cultivation, and as may be 

 imagined, crops vary in different parts of the 

 world; given a good climate and an evenly 

 distributed rainfall, a fair average soil and 

 judicious cultivation, the return ought to be at 

 least fifty nuts per tree per annum from three 

 pickings, or about 2500 per acre. 



Propping Bunches. It is necessary where 

 certain young trees have long fruit stalks which 

 are not strong enough to support the nuts, 

 to prop the bunches up by means of a strong 

 willowy prop, forked at the end which supports 

 the bunch, and pointed at the other for insertion 

 into the trunk of the tree. Care should be taken 

 in the length of the props used, for the bunches 



