Cultivation in Panama 1 1 3 



to depend upon climatic and soil conditions, 

 and also to the care and culture bestowed upon 

 the estate. Here is one return : " Under 

 favourable conditions, as exist along the sea- 

 shore, the palms will come into bearing between 

 the fifth and sixth year. While there are those 

 who claim that the palm will bear during the 

 fourth year, yet this is a rare instance. Its first 

 crop is a light one, increasing with each suc- 

 ceeding year, producing probably 15 to 20 nuts 

 the fifth year, 50 to 60 nuts in the sixth, and 

 full bearing (whatever that means) in the 

 seventh year." 



The average price of San Bias nuts on the 

 New York market was 632 to $40 per 1,000 

 (even up to $45) in 1910, now they are up to 

 848. Once, therefore, the actual yield can be 

 ascertained, and our readers can jump at their 

 own conclusions as to what this may possibly be, 

 then we can easily value the annual yield of a 

 palm. Against this the cost of caring for the 

 palms throughout the year, of collecting and 

 husking the nuts, of bagging and transport to 

 New York, and all incidental charges, is put 

 down as being from $10 to $15 per 1,000 ; 

 leaving, if this is correct, a profit (even at $15 

 cost) of -$i8 up to even $33 per 1,000 nuts at the 

 prices reported above as ruling in New York. 1 



1 Messrs. Gordon, Grant and Co., Ltd., Port of Spain, 

 Trinidad, B.W.I., gave the following quotations for 

 Trinidad coco-nut products in their over-seas circular, 

 dated January 22, 1912: "Coco-nuts per 1,000 f.o.b. 



8 



