136 Coco-nuts The Consols of the East 



is debatable, however, whether such exceptions 

 have any weight in the all-round averages, and 

 it is possible that where the nuts are large 

 their number is less, so the net results work 

 out the same. In Samoa the nuts are allowed 

 to ripen wholly on the tree and then to fall 

 of their own accord. Although some people 

 maintain this weakens the tree too much, still 

 it stands to reason that the plucking of them, 

 however skilfully done, has serious drawbacks, 

 such as damage to the trees themselves and 

 the uncertainty of plucking only ripe nuts. 

 As a matter of fact many nuts not quite ripe 

 and fit are known to be picked, so that some 

 make it a rule that the copra is to be made 

 only from fallen nuts. The flowerstalks, &c., 

 are also bound to suffer more or less with hand- 

 picking. Donkeys are mainly used for pur- 

 poses of transport, the nuts being placed in 

 panniers. Sometimes the nuts are collected in 

 heaps and the husks and even the shells 

 removed before being taken to the factories, 

 and this certainly reduces the bulk to be 

 carried. The opening and shelling on the 

 plantation, however, often results in the meat 

 becoming dirtied in transport, especially if it is 

 raining at the time. In hilly localities it has 

 been found most expedient to erect a number of 

 small drying-kilns at different centres in order 

 to obviate this drawback. 



In Samoa large central kilns are invariably 

 the vogue ; this increases the transport neces- 



