248 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



Manlhot Glaziovii for normal tropical climates. 

 Manlhot Dichotoma for rather dry regions. 

 Manihot Pjauiensis for light sandy soil only in 

 rather dry regions. 



These three varieties are very suitable for elevations ; especially Dichotoma 

 and Piauiensis which have been successfully planted up to 5,500 feet. 



Seeds true to name 



carefully prepared and tested, we supply for trial orders, postage paid to all 

 countries, in 



Parcels of lOlbs. net at £3, 



after receipt of money order or cheque. 



10 lbs. contain about 3,700 seeds of Dichotoma or Piauiensis; about 6,300 

 seeds of Glaziovii ; if requested the parcels can also be assorted, according to 

 orders in two or three of these varieties. — Prices for bags of 135 lbs. on 

 application. 



Gevekoht & Wed e kind 



Hamburg 1. 



Telegraphic-Address: "Gevekind Hamburg." 

 :: A. B. C. Code Sth Edition. :: 



In the Philippines, as in many other parts of 

 the tropical and sub-tropical world where coco- 

 nuts are grown, 30 feet by 30 feet is suggested 

 as the proper distance to plant coconuts. The 

 reason for this as given in this chapter is curi- 

 ous. " In order to obtain the maximum number 

 of nuts from each tree, it has been founrl neces- 

 sary to guard against the branches of some trees 

 touching or overlapping those of the other 

 trees. This prevents the free circulation of wind 

 through the palms. The continusl movement 

 of the branches of the coconut palm is abso- 

 lutely necessary to its normal functions." In 

 Ceylon, the usual distance is 25 feet by 25 feet. A 

 gentleman noticed that when planter! at this dis- 

 tance the branches of the young palmswere inter, 

 laced. He therefore planter! his estate 30 feet by 

 30 feet. As the palms grew older their fronds 

 became shorter and drooped down. The sun had 

 full play on the eoil and dried and corked it- 

 The trees suffered during periods of drought. A 

 comparison of the trees growing on the oppo- 

 site side of the road and planted at 25 feet by 25 

 feet with these, is an object lesson. In Ceylon 

 there are very few places that I know where the 

 palms should be planted 30 feet by 30 feet apart. 



The following is strange advice: " If you have 

 good, deep, rioh soil, plant cacao, rubber or 



such crops ; but if you have areas of poor soils 

 olant coconut plants on them. 1 ' 



In the ohapter on Coconuts in Samoa and 

 New Guinea, Mimosa pud^ca is said to be the 

 best plant to cover the soil of coconut estates, 

 owing to its nitrogen gathering properties and 

 owing to its containing 20 per cent of proteins. 



The question of ho<-v to plant seed nuts is 

 discussed, and preference is shown to their 

 being planted on their sides, as I have always 

 practised and advised, and for the same reasons. 



In Samoa the average yield of a palm is 

 said to be 60 nuts per annum. This is not a 

 high average on a rich and volcanic soil. The 

 nuts must be of poor quality if it takes 6,000 

 nuts to make one ton of copra, or 1,500 nuts 

 for a candy. The reason given for allowing 

 nuts to ripen on the trees and fall, is curious. 

 The trees are damaged and unripe nuts unfit for 

 copra are picked. "The fiowerstalks, &o.,are also 

 bound to suffer more or less from handpicking." 

 Recently, Mr. J. D. Vanderstraaten started a 

 discussion on copra-drying which unfortunately 

 was not taken up by experienced planters. I 

 attempted to.describe a kiln said to be in use in 

 Gorman Samoa, as described to me by Mr. Fre- 

 drick Burohardt. Here is a more complete de- 

 scription of it: — "A lower masonry structure (18 



