Edible Products. 



380 



The two last consignments wore shipped during the sti'ike at Marseilles in 

 the service of the Messageries Maritimes. They reached Seychelles by M.M.S.S. 

 "Djemnah" and B.I.S.S. "Loodiana" on the 12th November, i.e., three months and 

 two months respectively after shipment. It is perhaps interesting to note that the 

 delay, which was thought to be fatal to such perishable articles as cocoa pods, Para 

 rubber seeds, and plants in Wardian cases, has had little influence in one case of 

 Para rubber seeds packed in charcoal, and one tin of the same seeds packed dry. 

 2,600 plants were raised from the case of 10,000 seeds which remained two months at 

 sea, and 400 from the tin of 2,000 seeds which was kept three months in transit. Out 

 of the rest of the consignment only half a dozen seeds germinated. Supposing that the 

 tins and cases were packed in the same way and with the same seeds, it seems that 

 much remains to be studied on the question of seed vitality. The nutmeg seeds 

 arrived in bad condition. They were attacked by the beetle, owing perhaps to the 

 seeds having been kept too long in transit. 



The total number of plants raised amounts to :— 



Coconuts ... ... 9,076 



Nutmegs ... ... 1,493 



Cocoa ... ... ... 5,398 



Cola ... ... .., 1,434 



Rubber... ... ... 2,914 



The rubber seedlings were sold, even immediately after they had sprouted, 

 at the high price of 15 cents a plant. 



The coconuts have all been purchased although endless discussions have 

 been raised with reference to their hardiness and to the thickness of their " meat " 

 as compared with the Seychelles nuts. If one follows the growth of the Ceylon 

 nuts in the nursery, one has little doubt with regard to both Seychelles and 

 Ceylon nuts having the same variation in the colouration and general appear- 

 ance of the young shoot. Both nuts belong to the same variety of plants, and 

 the only difference is that one is selected with a view of (1) increasing the 

 size of the nuts, (2) reducing the percentage of the envelopes, and the other 

 is left to itself without selection. Regarding the thickness of the meat, I have 

 a doubt as to whether this is not due to optical illusion. I have opened a great 

 many nuts (about four dozen) in the presence of planters, and in all cases except 

 two the compared nuts were found to have the same thickness of meat. The 

 diameter of the Ceylon nut being about three times greater than the diameter of 

 the Seychelles nuts, the difference in the size of the hollow gives the appearance of a 

 difference in the thickness of the meat. By careful measurement the real thickness of 

 the meat is easily ascertained and shows a certain variation in both kinds of nuts. 

 Exceptionally big nuts (especially when not quite ripe) possess a comparatively 

 thin meat, but these nuts are found both in Ceylon and Seychelles. The copra 

 produced by 1,000 Ceylon ordinary nuts is about twice as much as that obtained 

 from Seychelles nuts. This result has been obtained in the same soil, under the 

 influence of the same climate, and is entirely due to selection. It is to be 

 hoped that the discussion raised on the subject by the planters after their having 

 seen the nuts introduced from Ceylon may prove the beginning of careful selec- 

 tion of nuts for planting in Seychelles. Many of them have already informed 

 me that they have found on their estates a few of their trees producing nuts 

 similar to those of Ceylon, and that they intend keeping them for propagation. 

 It is probable that the trees which produce very small nuts have less requirements 

 than those which produce bigger nuts, and that varieties which produce big 

 nuts normally will bear smaller nuts if they are starved out. But when one 

 thinks of the very trifling amount of plant food which is removed from the 

 soil by ..[coconut cultivation, there seems to be no difficulty in supplying the 



