Edible Products. 



[January, 1909. 



to have my theory confirmed by others, 

 or satisfactorily controverted, that I 

 venture to submit this paper. 



That there must be a relation between 

 the weather and coconut crops is a simple 

 truism, but can we reduce it to rules for 

 our guidance in estimating future crops 

 or in devising measures to counteract the 

 effects of unfavourable weather? The 

 question is not one merely of the amount 

 of rainfall in a single year (the tree is one 

 that is blossoming and bearing fruit all 

 through the year), but of the intensity 

 of the rainfall at various times, of its 

 distribution, of the degree of saturation 

 of the soil, the variation in the saturation 

 from thorough as in the early weeks of 

 the monsoons to greater or less dryage 

 during drought, of the variation in the 

 temperature and moisture of the air, the 

 degree of sunshine and light as affecting 

 transpiration and the formation of 

 chlorsphyl, and also the eletrieal condi- 

 tion of the atmosphere. 



We all know roughly that extreme and 

 prolonged saturation of the soil, as also 

 extreme and prolonged dryage, are 

 equally unfavourable. We know that 

 extreme heat and extreme cold, that a 

 prolonged period of dark cloudy days 

 are all unfavourable to the production 

 of blossom, while it has been generally 

 noticed that a highly electric condition 

 of the atmosphere is extremely favour- 

 able, but here our knowledge ends. 

 When we enter into details our opinions 

 differ greatly. We have not before us 

 all the data for definitely framing our 

 opinions, and it is extremely desirable 

 that full observations should be carefully 

 recorded of the various factors that 

 affect coconut crops. 



The experience of practical planters of 

 the results of manuring and recorded 

 observations of rainfall and crops should 

 go a long way towards establishing a 

 fairly workable theory on this subject. 

 In manuring, especially in manuring a 

 previously uncultivated garden, we find 

 no increase in the crops during the first 

 year, simply because the blossoms for 

 the first year's crops were all out and set, 

 and in various stages of development 

 already when manuring took place — 

 perhaps after a few months we find less 

 of the tender young coconut (kurum- 

 bettis) falling, owing to the increased 

 nourishment afforded by the manure, so 

 also we notice a slight improvement 

 in the kernel from the same cause. 

 During the second and third years there 

 is a marked and gradual increase of 

 crop still due to the improved vigour of 

 the trees and the consequent fertilizing 

 properties of the pollen which otherwise 

 would have been largely infertile. The 

 increase of crop during the third year 



may be quite double the previous yield 

 or even more, but it is after the third 

 year that the full effects of manuring are 

 felt by the trees, the increase in nuts of 

 previously unmanured gardens being 

 quite four to five fold. I was much struck 

 with this fact when I first began coconut 

 cultivation and unable to account for the 

 long interval required for manuring to 

 tell in the case of coconuts, till curiosity 

 led me to dissect the heart or cabbage, 

 the pol-bada, of a healthy tree which 

 was blown down by high wind. Count- 

 ing all the flowers from the one just 

 opened to the smallest spathe in the 

 heart or cabbage that could be examined 

 with a magnifying glass, I found 

 there were thirty-four flower spathes in 

 this tree, and the smallest spathe in 

 the heart of the cabbage had clearly 

 distinguishable miniature kurumbettis 

 or female flowers. Now, taking sixteen 

 as the average number of fresh branches 

 (and each branch carries a flower spathe) 

 put forth yearly by a healthy tree, we 

 get two years and say two or three 

 months for the last distinguishable 

 spathe to arrive at the crown of 

 the tree and burst into blossom— to this 

 must be added another ten to twelve 

 months before we can gather the fully 

 matured nuts from that branch. This 

 gives us the period of three years at 

 least, and I suppose a few months must 

 be allowed from the beginning of the 

 manuring period for the initial forma- 

 tion of the flower spathe in embryo. I 

 regret being unable to express myself 

 in scientific terms. Scientists whom I 

 have consulted tell me the flower spathe 

 once formed in embryo, nothing can in- 

 crease or diminish the number of female 

 flowers it contains. May we not well 

 conclude that rain or drought, too, in- 

 creasing or retarding the flow of fluid 

 (sap) in the trunk of the tree and 

 otherwise affecting it, cannot increase 

 or diminish the embryo female flowers 

 already formed, and must therefore 

 take the same time for its operation as 

 manuring. 



The records of crop and rainfall kept 

 by some estates bearjout also, I think, the 

 theory 1 have advanced. These records 

 also I think establish the fact that 

 heavy and long continued rainfall, lead- 

 ing to prolonged and undue saturation 

 of the soil, prejudicially affect the for- 

 mation of fruit blossoms ; but when a 

 period of dry, sunshiny weather, almost 

 amounting to drought (as in the early 

 months of the year), follows on such 

 heavy rainfalls, the conditions are ex- 

 tremely favourable. 



The coconut tree thriven best with its 

 crown exposed to the sun and wind 

 (favouring transpiration and in eonse* 



