Edible Products. 



112 



[August, 1911 



In conclusion, then, it would appear 

 that disinfection of seed is a desirable 

 practice ; that in Dominica the Carolina 

 Running and Dixie Giant varieties gave 

 the biggest yields, though they are not 

 as desirable for thelocal market as varie- 

 ties producing smaller nuts ; that a 

 dressing of. lime of about 2,000 lb. to the 

 acre is likely to prove advantageous ; 

 and that the rust fungus does not cause 

 shrinkage of the nuts, or inflict any 

 other serious damage in that island. 



Selection Experiments in 

 montserrat. 

 In the Report on the Botanic Station 

 and Experiment Plots, Montserrat, 

 1909-10, mention is made of selection 

 experiments with plants of the Gambia 

 and Carolina Running varieties. The 

 results obtained are interesting, and 

 although the work has only been started 

 recently, there is evidence to show that 

 careful selection of seed from the best 

 plants for planting purposes will have 

 a considerable effect in increasing the 

 yield and other desirable characters of 

 these nuts. 



General Conclusions, 



(1) The disinfection of ground-nuts by 

 immersion for five minutes in a solution 

 of corrosive sublimate of a strength of 

 1 part in 1,000 of water before planting 

 is a course highly to be recommended. 



(2) The varieties most suitable to the 

 different islands vary somewhat with 

 the locality, but the Spanish and Caro- 

 lina Running varieties are likely to 

 prove most generally useful. 



(3) An application of L200 to 2,400 1b. 

 of lime per acre to the soil in which this 

 crop is to be grown is likely to prove 

 advantageous, at any rate in the islands 

 of Dominica, Montserrat and Nevis. 



(4) The effect of gradual acclimatiz- 

 ation may do much to reduce the harm 

 inflicted by fungi, and in conjunction 

 with seed selection, to increase the 

 yield given by the different varieties, 

 so that a really useful addition to the 

 agriculture of the islands will accrue by 

 the extended cultivation of ground-nuts. 



THE CULTIVATION OP COCONUT. 



By Manuel Roxas. 



(Prom the Philippine Agriculturist and 

 Forester, Vol. I., No. 3, March, 1911.) 



Twenty per cent, of the Philippine 

 exports in 1909 were coconut products, 

 a fact that shows the extent of the coco- 

 nut industry in these islands. Among 

 the coconut growing countries of the 



world, the Philippines lank third, but 

 the Philippine copra is poorest in qual- 

 ity. Our old method of drying and the 

 common practice of using nuts not fully 

 ripe, as well as lack of care in baling the 

 products, are responsible for this low 

 classification. 



If we consider on the other hand the 

 thousands of hectares of our land, suited 

 to coconut raising, remaining yet un- 

 touched, and the meanness of the effort 

 the improvement of our copra will 

 require, there is no evident reason why 

 we should not make of the Philippines 

 the first coconut-producing country of 

 the world, both as to the quality and 

 quantity. 



Supposing that we aim at this purpose, 

 one of our first cares must be to stamp 

 out all diseases that destroy our coconuts 

 and reduce our profit. The (Jang alone 

 is causing a damage amounting in many 

 localities to fully twenty per cent, of 

 the crop. In spite of this fact no effect- 

 ive measure has ever been taken by 

 either our farmers or the Government 

 to eliminate this pest. But we should 

 eradicate it and others hardly less 

 serious, such as the red beetle and the 

 bud rot, before we plant new tracts of 

 land with coconut ; for otherwise our 

 new plantations will offer fresh breeding 

 places for the pests, and thus aid in 

 their propagation. Moreover, the labour 

 which might be spent in planting new 

 areas will render under present condi- 

 tions no greater profit than it would if 

 directed to the extirpation or the 

 diseases mentioned. 



In this paper it is intended to give 

 some hints and criticisms for the im- 

 provement of our methods of culti- 

 vation, gathering of the crop, and the 

 preparation of copra. 



Selection of Seeds. 

 Little attention or none at all is com- 

 monly given the seed beds and the selec- 

 tion of seeds. Yet much is to be gained 

 in the betterment of our nuts if we 

 select the seeds and only plant those 

 that are possessed of the characters 

 suited to our purpose. For instance, 

 when coconuts are raised for copra, big 

 nuts rich in fatty contents are to be 

 preferred, and if only seeds possessing 

 those characters are planted, the next 

 generation of trees will produce a greater 

 percentage of such nuts, yielding on 

 the average a better quality and larger 

 quantity of copra. If, on the other hand, 

 tuba is the principal product, trees 

 yielding the greatest number of fruits 

 are more desirable, for more sap is 

 obtained from them. Seeds from such 



