128 



THE COCO-NUT 



CHAP. 



the trees 8 metres apart yielded 30 to 35 nuts a tree, 

 or a total of about 5000 nuts. In Polynesia there are 

 various European plantations on which the trees are 

 spaced 10 metres, and some on which an even wider 

 spacing is in use. So far as the nature of the ground 

 permits regular planting, 10 metres has also been found 

 a proper distance in the Seychelles. Van Oijen, in the 

 Bulletin of the Colonial Museum at Haarlem 41 (1909) 

 30, states that on the plantation of Tjikeumeuh, in Java, 

 the trees are set about 13 metres apart; and summing 

 up all the information and experience at his disposal 

 gives 12 metres as in general the distance which can 

 be most confidently recommended. 



The effect of sunlight on the productiveness of 

 coco-nuts is illustrated by records made by myself at 

 San Kamon in Mindanao. There are coco-nuts in 

 double rows, one on each side of each narrow road, on 

 this plantation. In such a row, which contained no 

 non-bearing trees, I found the yield at one cutting to 

 average 22 nuts to the tree. It is customary here 

 to cut the nuts four times a year. A single row of 

 trees along the well-drained bank of a slough yielded an 

 average of 27 nuts, all trees producing. A single tree 

 standing by itself in the open yielded 55 nuts, which 

 was the average of this tree for several successive 

 cuttings. In the centre of an old grove the average for 

 the producing trees was about 1 1 ; and in the same 

 situation in a large grove on the neighbouring hacienda 

 of Talisayan the average yield of bearing trees was 

 only 8 nuts ; the individual trees in the area in which 

 this count was made were less than 6 metres apart, 

 their crowns interlacing freely and producing a rather 

 dense shade ; and many trees were without ripe nuts. 



In determining the distance to be adopted, the 

 favourableness of local conditions, both climatic and 

 of the soil, and also the treatment which the grove is 

 likely to receive, should be taken into account. If the 

 conditions are unfavourable, the trees may well be 

 planted somewhat closer together. However, I do not 



