Cultivation in Panama 107 



Bay (Pacific side) may be seen coco-nuts palms 

 down to the very edge of the water, with 

 absolutely no protection from the winds, and 

 although some are said to run up to ninety 

 and even a hundred feet high, they are, in spite 

 of their age, for many are very old, still whole 

 and sound throughout. This shows protec- 

 tion, for, as everyone knows, the wind can and 

 does blow some good gales in the Gulf of 

 Mexico and about the Caribbean Seas. 



A sufficiency but not an over supply of 

 wind, therefore, is one advantage claimed for 

 Panama as a coco-nut centre ; another is its 

 favourable rainfall Estimates as to what the 

 rainfall for coco-nuts should be vary consider- 

 ably, ranging from 60 to 100 in. Probably 

 different centres need varying quantities. On 

 the other hand all agree that, given good 

 drainage, the coco-nut palm has still to be grown 

 that shows signs of having had too much rain. 

 In 1909 the Isthmian Canal Commission's 

 records showed that at Puerto Bello, on the 

 Atlantic coast of Panama, about 20 miles 

 from Colon, a rainfall of 237*28 in. was 

 registered ; this is sufficient even for the 

 thirstiest coco-nut. Adequate rainfall, therefore, 

 is advantage number two claimed for Panama ; 

 a third is the lie of the land and nature of the 

 soil. About half a million nuts are shipped 

 monthly from Panama to the United States, 

 chiefly to New York and Philadelphia. These 

 are the famous San Bias nuts, so called because 



