100 NUT CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES. 



utive size, barely visible to the iiaked eye, the Cocos diaspis vandalicus de Galvez. 

 Professor Guudlach, of Havana, at present here, recommends that all cocoanuts 

 as soon as received iu the United States be dipped into boiling water and that 

 the bags they are shipped in be destroyed." 



In Ceylon, Sir Emerson Tennent reported the cocoanut beetle (Batocera rubus) 

 as among the most destructive enemies of the cocoanut palm. These penetrate 

 the trunks of the younger trees near the ground and deposit their eggs. The 

 grubs when hatched eat their way upward through the center of the tree to the 

 top, where they pierce the young leaf buds and do incredible damage. The larva 

 is of large dimensions, and after perforating the tree in all directions it forms a 

 cocoon of the gnawed wood and sawdust, in which it reposes during its sleep, as 

 pupa, till the arrival of the period when it emerges as a perfect beetle. 



NOTES FROM FLORIDA COREESPONDENTS. 



James McFarlane, Lake Worth (May 6, 1889): "Prom nuts planted in July, 

 1882, 1 send you specimen cocoanuts. The tree has 110 more on, which are rnatur 

 ing beautifully. I have several more trees with lots of nuts on. The only way 

 1 can account for such early and rapid growth must be in the richness of the 

 soil. I am quite convinced that a cocoanut should be planted where it is to remain. 

 Transplanting throws them back at least a year in growth." 



George W. Lainhart, Palm Beach : " I have about 500 cocoauut trees ; about 

 250 iu bearing. Yield from 1 to 100 a year. They sell here at 4 cents apiece for 

 seed." 



William M. Lanetart, Figulus: "I have 2,000 cocoanuts bearing, 12 years old. 

 Average yield, 100 nuts yearly; average value here, $40 per thousand." 



J. H. Brelsford, Palm Beach: "Cocoauuts are cultivated and are bearing well; 

 we have no market established; all nuts ripening are in demand for planting." 



E. M. Denick, Palm Beach: "I have 3,000 cocoanuts, 800 in bearing, on all kinds 

 of land; do well on both high and low land. Have never marketed any nuts except 

 at home for seed." 



George S. Eowley, Lake Worth : " Probably there are 5,000,000 cocoanut trees in 

 this (Bade) county, growing in different stages from nuts just started to old bearing 

 trees. Of the latter, not more than 4,000 or 5,000 in the whole county. Many young 

 trees are on lands of nonresidents or winter residents. Nuts formerly sold here at 10 

 cents each, but now are slow sale at 5 cents each, and are bought generally for 

 planting. No outside market has yet been found, but as trees are fast coming into 

 bearing the marketing is demanding consideration." 



MISCELLANEOUS NUTS. 



BEECH (Fagus atropunicea Sudworth; F. femtginea Ait). 



The American Beech, though not planted for its nut, is in many sections so abun- 

 dant in our forests that its fruit is gathered in considerable quantity both for home 

 use and market. Woodsmen and woodworkers recognize the distinction between dif- 

 ferent beeches based on differences in color, texture, and comparative size of the heart 

 wood of different trees, calling them " White beech" or " Bed beech," as the case may 

 be. Botanists at the present time find no constant characters, however, that enable 

 them to recognize more than a single species, named above. It is widely distributed, 

 being found, according to Sargent, from Nova Scotia and the valley of the Eesti- 

 gouche River to the northern shores of Lake Huron and northern Wisconsin, south to 

 he Chattahoochee region of western Florida and the valley of the Trinity Eiver, 

 Texas, west to eastern Illinois, southeastern Missouri, and Madison County, Ark. 



