AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 
OF THE 
STRAITS 
AND 
FEDERATED NALAy STATES. 
No. 12.] DECEMBER, 1909. Vol. IX 
BRAZIL-NUTS. 
The Brazil-nut ( Bertholletia excelsa) was introduced 
into the Singapore Botanic Gardens in the year 1881, 
September 20th, from the Royal Gardens, Kew. Only 
two plants were sent, and both are still in the Botanic 
Gardens, Singapore. They must first have been kept 
in the Upper Gardens, as the Economic Gardens were 
not then established, but when Mr. Cantley obtained 
what was then known as the military reserve in 1884, 
the plants were transferred there with many other plants 
of economic interest, including the Para rubber trees. 
The trees grew steadily on a clay bank near what is 
now the clerks’ quarters, and flowered about 1901 for 
the first time. The first fruits were produced in 1902, 
and since then the trees have provided a quantity of 
fruit steadily each year. The crop this year has been 
much larger than in any previous year, and there were 
over a hundred of the large woody capsules on the big- 
gest tree. 
The biggest tree measures 65 feet tall, with a head 
of foliage 30 feet through ; the girth at 3 feet from the 
