3o6 STUDIES IN SEEDS AND FRUITS 



Explanation Though these tables largely explain themselves, a few 



explanatory remarks are necessary. The data in Table I 

 were obtained from individual fruits, excepting those in column 

 D, those fruits being selected which came from the same palm 

 and gave results similar to those supplied by others in the 

 same stage. In Table II the percentages shown in Table I 

 are applied to a green, full-sized fruit of average weight. It 

 is important to notice that whilst the first table is in grains, 

 the second is in grammes. All the observations were made 

 during the winter 1 907-8 in Jamaica. 



The contents of column D call for special remark. They 



represent the results of different experiments on the ordinary 



The com- drying in air of the separate husk, shell, and kernel, applied 



Stiedcoco- to the fruit in the stage at which they reach their greatest 



nut. development. Since the husk attains it in the green unripe 



fruit of full size, the drying experiment was made on the 



husk at this stage. In the same way and for the same reason 



the shell and kernel of the ripe fruit were subjected to the 



drying test. The following results were obtained : — 



Loss of weight when dried in air of husk of green coco-nut, 



80 per cent. 

 Loss of weight when dried in air of shell of ripe coco-nut, 



7 per cent. 

 Loss of weight when dried in air of kernel of ripe coco-nut, 



40 per cent. 



To produce the completely air-dried coco-nut these losses 

 had to be applied to the husk of the green fruit in column A, 

 and to the shell and kernel of the ripe fruit in column C. 

 The fruit typified in column D is therefore a coco-nut that 

 has given up all its water to the air, or rather all the water 

 that the air can absorb, the fruit retaining only what it would 

 hold independent of its vitality. This completely air-dried 

 fruit represents, accordingly, rather the result of a laboratory 

 experiment than a process of nature, -since, as previously 

 remarked, we should only expect to find a coco-nut in this 

 state under exceptional conditions. Such a fruit would most 



