Cultivation in Panama 1 1 5 



set-back one too, should it cause the boom to 

 pass them by, that they will not recover from 

 for many a long day. 



Regarding catch-crops in Panama, the 

 friends who supplied us with the preceding 

 data also sent us the following particulars re 

 catch-crops and subsidiary industries in con- 

 nection with coco-nut planting on a large 

 scale. These of course refer exclusively to 

 Panama, but we know several centres, particu- 

 larly in the West Indies, where the advice 

 here given could well be carried out, 



'' The fact that it is possible to raise vegeta- 

 bles or ground provisions between the growing 

 palms, without injuring them in any way, enables 

 the planter to realize a good profit from his 

 coco-nut lands whilst waiting for them to come 

 into bearing. On Venado beach, on the Pacific 

 shore, at the present time there exists a coco- 

 nut plantation of palms ranging from twelve 

 up to twenty months old. They are in ex- 

 cellent condition, the best methods known 

 being in use, and the palms give promise of 

 early bearing. The seeds were carefully 

 selected from the same Pacific side, the very 

 best only being used. Here also are raised 

 large quantities of ground provisions or vege- 

 tables, whichever term you prefer to use, as 

 tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, water- 

 melons, yams, yuccas, plantains, &c., whilst of 

 fruits there are bananas, paw-paws, oranges, 

 limes, &c. The latter, growing on trees and 



