24 



THE COCO-NUT 



CHAP. 



free choice will plant his coco-nuts where this condition 

 can be realized. 



The injurious effect of very moist air is not confined 

 to the checking of transpiration and consequent poor 

 supply of mineral food. Extreme humidity is an 

 indispensable condition for the spread of at least a part 

 of the pests causing bud rot, and in this way can put 

 geographical limits on coco-nut culture — limits sharper 

 than are anywhere put by the dryness of the air. It 

 is also reported that in Deli (Sumatra), too great 

 humidity causes premature decay of the fruit. The 

 bad effect of prevailing cloudiness has already been 

 indicated. 



The wind increases the transpiration, arid, therefore, 

 as long as enough water can be supplied by the roots, 

 is beneficial ; beyond this point it injures the tree. 

 The point above which an increase in the amount of 

 wind — whether in force or in constancy — will injure 

 the tree, depends obviously on the amount of water 

 the roots can take up. Where the soil is dry, but little 

 wind is desirable ; where the roots are constantly well 

 watered it is desirable that the climate be decidedly 

 windy. Where the soil is not moist enough for the 

 trees to endure much wind, coco-nuts would probably 

 still prove the most profitable crop, but the location is 

 not a good one. On a little hill about 30 metres 

 high on one of the Visayan Islands I counted the nuts 

 on many trees, and found the average number more 

 than twice as great at the foot as near the top. 



Storms are, in their action on the tree, altogether 

 different from ordinary, accidental or seasonal winds. 

 Their effect on the transpiration might be good or bad, 

 according to circumstances, but is in either case not 

 important. 



Eeports are frequently seen of the destruction of con- 

 siderable numbers of coco-nut trees by typhoons. As 

 the chief coco-nut producing districts of the Philippines 

 are subject to typhoons, and as the tree thrives in 

 exposed situations, I have been interested in seeing 



