V 



FIELD CULTURE 



167 



finding the fallen nuts, why the grove should be kept 

 in such condition that very few nuts need be lost. It 

 is said that the collection of fallen nuts is expensive, 

 because of the necessity of frequent search for them ; 

 but search as frequent as is necessary does not cost as 

 much as cutting down the nuts. And finally, there are 

 many energetic planters who think their trees are not 

 well cared for unless the crowns are cleared of the dead 

 bases of leaves and fruiting branches, and who find it 

 most convenient to have this work and the cutting 

 down of the nuts done together. If this cleaning is to 

 be done it is true that cutting down the nuts costs 

 practically nothing in addition. But the cleaning out 

 of the crowns is itself, more often than not, a misguided 

 effort. There are cases in which it is necessary ; for 

 instance, when there are rats' nests to be removed. 

 But in general it is not necessary, and unless very care- 

 fully and moderately done it is dangerous. Any care- 

 lessness in such work may make the tree a victim of 

 red beetles, or of certain fungi, or possibly of bud rot. 

 And it is no rare occurrence for cleaning to be so 

 excessive that the lower, heavy bunches of nuts are left 

 without sufficient support. Even if a knife does no 

 more than cut off the green stem of a cluster of nuts it 

 leaves a possible point of infection by some of the 

 enemies of the tree. 



And still most planters have the nuts cut down. 

 This is done in various ways, each land having its local 

 method, in the practice of which the men concerned 

 become very skilful. In the upper part of the great 

 coco-nut forest encircling Mount Banajao, in Luzon, the 

 trees are not climbed, but the clusters of nuts are cut 

 off by men who remain on the ground, using the 

 " halabas." A short, sharp knife is firmly fastened to 

 the end of a slender bamboo, so that the blade points 

 obliquely downward, toward the lower end. A good 

 pull severs the stalk of the nut cluster. For work in 

 groves of much age additional pieces of bamboo are 

 slid into the lower end of the first one and firmly tied ; 



