liv. Timehri. 



On the other hand from what I have seen during recent years of 

 local coconut-palms I believe that the average annual yields from trees 

 vary from probably less than 5 to as many as 150 nuts per tree — some 

 trees here being of remarkably heavy bearing-power — but as a rule 

 farmers will just as soon set seed-nuts from a palm of five nut-type as from 

 one of 150 nut-strain. 



Planting coconut-palms from nuts without reference to the bearing 

 power of their parent palm, either in number or size of the nuts, or to 

 its suitability to the kind of soil the seedling is to grow on, appears to me 

 to be a singularly unwise proceeding. It is hoped to get a palm yielding 

 crops of nuts from its seventh to its fiftieth or sixtieth year — a per- 

 manent investment — and yet the planting is done in a manner which can 

 not be regarded as less commercially unsound thau investing capital in a 

 risky business yielding less than 1 per cent, per annum whilst it could be 

 just as readily invested in a secure and permanent one yielding 6 or 8 

 per cent. 



Our experience during the twenty-one years under review has, 

 I consider, conclusively proved that coconuts are suitable for 

 cultivation over large areas in the lowlands of the colony ; that 

 local varieties of coconuts yield veiy heavy crops of medium- 

 sized nuts on relatively heavy clay soils on the coastlands, whilst 

 on lighter lands similar varieties produce much larger-sized nuts ; 

 that there can be no doubt that the colony is emphatically a coconut 

 land, aud that as such there are in it practically unlimited areas of 

 land very suitable and readily available for coconut cultivation. 



Coffee. 

 In its agricultural activities this Society has always been interested 

 in coffee-growing. We are aware that in the eighteenth century and in 

 the earlier part of the last century Guiana, and especially Berbice, was 

 celebrated for the high quality of the coffee produced ; and that at the 

 time of the cessation of slavery, circumstances beyond the control of the 

 planters necessitated the gradual abandonment of its cultivation. For 

 instance in 1821 the export of coffee from the colony was 124,086 cwt ; 

 in 1833 it had shrunk to 51,860 cwt. ; in 1840 to 30,000 cwt. ; in 1845 

 to 4,400 cwt., whilst in 1847 it had disappeared from the list of exports. 

 In 1896 locally grown conee had again become an article of export but only 

 to the extent of 63 cwt., whilst 1,763 cwt., of coffee was imported its 

 value being upwards of $27,600. 



Sir Daniel Morris, in his subsidiary report to the West Indian Royal 

 Commission, laid great stress on growing coflee as being next to rice, the 

 most promising of all subsidiary products. He pointed out that for 

 coffee-growing " British Guiana can offer exceptional advantages in soil 

 "and climate, and in proximity to suitable markets. These are most 

 " important elements on which to base the existence of large and 

 " successful industries " 



