Oct. 1900.] 319 Edible Product.!* 



food scattered (very sparsely it may be) through it. It thus happens that even in poor 

 sandy soils, which are, however, porous and provided with water, there is quite 

 enough nourishment for the tree. 



Much of the food available to palms growing along the seashore is traceable 

 to the " wash"— chiefly under ground— which comes from the land side and flows 

 seaward. Such underground wash keeps the plants found along the seaboard in a 

 flourishing condition, while in inland and higher situations, where the soil is less 

 permeable, plants suffer from a lack of moisture and therefore of nourishment. 



Irrigation is thus to be recommended for the latter descriptions of soils in 

 dry-seasons ; and the use of manures, particularly those furnishing mineral food, are 

 likely to be repaid in an increased yield. 



To put the matter shortly : on a loose soil where water is at hand, the roots 

 travel about freely and find plant food whjph is then absorbed in the form of very 

 dilute solutions. In higher and drier land where the soil is of a firmer texture the 

 tree is less able to forage for itself owing to soil resistance and paucity of water. 

 The proportion of mineral food taken up may be said to be proportional to the 

 amount of water absorbed. 



It will thus be seen that it would be a manifest advantage to increase 

 the transpiration in the plant, and so also increase the absorption of water and 

 mineral food. 



This may be done in two ways — 



(1) by increasing the amount of water at the disposal of the roots. 



(2) by improving the conditions for evaporation through the leaves. 

 Judicious irrigation will bring about the first, but the soil must not be allowed 

 to become " logged." 



For the second there should be ample sunlight and " wind." Provided the 

 roots are not too dry, the more the tree is exposed to these forces the better for it. 

 To this end avoid close planting. It may be generally stated that the further apart 

 the trees are planted the better they will thrive. Certainly up to 15 metres (50 feet 

 nearly) any increase will appreciably increase the yield. It is the interlacing of 

 roots and leaves, and the competition among trees for air and water that reduces 

 their yield. The best ordinary distance is 9 metres (30 feet nearly). It is only in 

 exposed situations, or where intensive cultivation can be economically carried on 

 that this distance may be reduced. 



The reason why trees thrive along the seaboard is attributable to the fact 

 that their roots are able to stand the action of concenti'ated solutions (e.g., sea 

 water) and the leaves delight in sunlight and wind. As with other plants it is 

 possible to create artificial conditions as favourable, if not more so, to crop produc- 

 tion. But the conditions referred to above must be provided even in the richest soils 

 for the best results, viz., sunlight, water, and wind ; for a lack of light, a restricted 

 supply of water, and a still atmosphere, are unfavourable to the coconut. 



In selecting nuts, they should be taken from a tree in which the productive 

 power is great in proportion to its opportunities, i.e., one that bears a proportion- 

 ately larger number of nuts than its neighbours. It is a mistake to select nuts from 

 trees which are equally prolific in a given area. Heredity (individual character) 

 rather than environment should be looked at in this matter. 



Though we would not expect to find it so, both chlorine and common salt 

 may be said, from the insignificant quantities in which they are found, to be negligible 

 elements in the food of the palm. According to analytical results it is found that 

 there is a gradual increase in the proportion of meat (kernel), copra, and oil (with a 

 decrease of milk, indicating that the meat becomes firmer, loses water and gains oil) 



42 



