MISCELLANEOUS NUTS. 103 



February 18, 1891, says : " The kola tree commences to bear within four years from 

 the time it is planted, and when it is 10 years old it is in full bearing. The trees 

 bloom and bear at the same time, and the nuts are gathered twice a year in Novem- 

 ber and June. The ripe nut consists of a brownish-yellow capsule inclosing both 

 red and white seed, which vary in number from five to fifteen. They are collected 

 with great care by women, who remove the husks and pick out all the damaged 

 seed. The sound seeds are placed in dark baskets lined with leaves, and are then 

 ready for transportation." The editor of the Florida Agriculturist, for March 9, 1892, 

 says: "We have nothing upon which to base our hopes that the plant will succeed 

 in Florida except that the plant grows in a climate similar to ours, in soil resembling 

 heavy hammocks." 



Situation. A treatise on this subject by the government of Jamaica says: 

 "Wherever bananas, nutmegs, or cocoa grow, kola will flourish. Hot, damp situa- 

 tions where rainfall is not less than 80 inches suit best. The tree grows in Jamaica 

 in suitable situations at elevations varying from sea level up to 3,000 feet, but prob- 

 ably it succeeds best below 1,000 feet." 



Soil. A deep, rich, somewhat clayey soil will doubtless be favorable for produc- 

 tion, but the kola tree is hardy and will endure variations in soil as it does in climate. 



Planting. Young plants are obtained by planting the seeds either where the 

 trees are to be permanent, or in nurseries to be transplanted. The latter is the better 

 plan. Nicholson's Dictionary of Gardening says this tree may also be propagated 

 by ripened cuttings placed in sand under a hand glass in bottom heat. The soil of 

 the nursery beds should be a mixture of loam with peat or decayed leaf mold. The 

 seeds may be planted at distances from 9 to 12 inches apart, and should be shaded. 

 The seedlings may be transplanted when they are from 2 to 3 feet in height. Their 

 permanent situations should not be less than 25 feet apart. If the soil is not very 

 deep and rich, holes should be dug 3 feet every way some time before planting, and 

 only surface soil filled in. Shade for the plants is necessary, and this is best obtained 

 by growing bananas alternately with the kola. 



C. Moss, writing from Deinarara, British Guiana, under date of April 5, 1892, says : 

 "I have on my cocoa plantation on the Demarara Eiver 2,700 kola trees which were 

 planted in 1888. In appearance all are healthy and strong ; some are 25 feet high. 

 They are said to bear fruit in the sixth or seventh year after the seeds are planted. 

 The seeds I planted were obtained from the British West India island Granada, 

 where the plant is supposed to have been introduced by one of the African slaves. 

 The first lot of seeds I received (1,500) were sent in a box without any holes, packed 

 in damp straw, but none of these seeds grew. Then I sent another order for 3,000 

 seeds, and requested the shipper to have the seeds packed in a box with some of the 

 earth taken from under the trees from which the seed were procured, first having 

 about ten holes of about a quarter of an inch each, bored in the sides of the box ; and 

 when filled the contents were well watered with good fresh water and shipped. From 

 the date that the seeds were so packed to the date I received them was fifteen days, 

 when 1 found the seeds in excellent condition for planting. I then had the contents 

 of the box watered daily, and ten days after the arrival I had the seeds planted about 

 25 feet apart on my cocoa plantations. Two thousand seven hundred of the seed 

 grew, and are the same I have already mentioned. I had thought they should be 

 planted under some shade, and therefore planted 2,000 of the seeds under the shade 

 trees used for the cocoa, and 1,000 without shade. Those I planted under shade 

 all grew, and of those I planted without shade but 700 grew. The former are now the 

 finest trees I have, and the latter came on so badly that I had to plant shade trees 

 to protect them. Since the shade trees have been able to give some protection 

 from the sun the kola trees have much improved, but in appearance they are fully 

 two years in growth behind trees which were planted under shade. The shade tree 

 I have is of very rapid growth, and on good land will attain the height of 15 to 20 feet 



