3o8 STUDIES IN SEEDS AND FRUITS 



gathering. This implies that the maturation of the seed is 



continued after the early ripe fruit has been detached. It is 



during the period of storage, covering usually one or two 



months, that the oil in the kernel increases considerably in 



amount. The proportions of watep^and oil in the kernel vary 



Decrease of in an inverse relation, the water gradually diminishing: and the 



the water .,.,,. . ' , r • ^ t ■ 



and increase Oil gradually mcreasmg as the rruit matures, in an mterestmg 



° *°'" compilation entitled All about the Coco-nut Palm, which was 



published at Colombo in 1885, the following are given as the 



proportions of water and oil in the kernels of young and 



ripe fruits as obtained by M. Lepine of Pondicherry : — 



Young coco-nuts contained 90*3 per cent, of water and 2*3 per 



cent, of oil. 

 Ripe coco-nuts contained 53*0 per cent, of water and 30*0 per 



cent, of oil. 



This increase of the oil in a stored coco-nut is a point 

 emphasised by diiFerent writers in the book just quoted ; 

 and it is one on which stress is laid in a letter to me by 

 Mr H. Matthes, a planter of " Bacolet," Tobago. 



The use of the term " young " deserves a word of explan- 

 ation. It is applied to the full-sized green fruit with shell 

 and kernel but partially formed. The term " ripe " is applied 

 to a fruit with a hard shell and a thick solid kernel. During 

 the ripening process the husk loses a large amount of water, 

 and in consequence the ripe fruit is much lighter in weight 

 than the green fruit, though to the inexperienced eye its 

 appearance may not be greatly changed. 



As confirming my method, I have compared below the 

 proportions .of parts for young and ripe fruits as given in 

 All about the Coco-nut Palm with my own results. The data 

 Observations are apparently all derived from M. Ldpine, but they are 

 P"*^" concerned with a smaller variety of coco-nut than that experi- 

 mented upon by me in Jamaica. Since the husk and shell are 

 not distinguished by him in the young nut, I have followed 

 the same plan in the subjoined table. 



