Storage Of Coconuts

The following letter, by Mr. G. A.

Loudon, of Port Moresby, was published recently in the “Papuan Courier — THE following may be of interest to many small coconut planters like myself. It is an experiment Mr. D.

Ross, of Obu, is carrying out for me at Ou Ou Creek, and might well be given a trial by small individual owners, who have to remain on their estates, perhaps idle, during this fearful depression.

Down every tenth row of palms a wall of nuts is built, about five feet wide by four feet high First you lay a heavy mat of fronds on the ground, then a layer of nuts, then another layer of fronds and so on, up to four feet, or higher if you like: when the desired height is reached, a thick, heavy roofing of fronds is used to top off.

Only a very few boys are required for

this work, and it keeps an estate free from disease and nuts.

If I remember rightly, this system was carried out by a Ceylon planter who lived in a very wet district. For about seven months in the year they had very heavy rain, then for four or five months very dry weather. During the four or five months of dry weather he sun-dried all his crop.

If there are any of your readers who have tried this experiment, I shall be glad to hear from them. I am not sure if better results would not be obtained by husking the nuts before stacking.

The Resident Commissioner of the Cook Islands, Judge Ayson, C.M.G., has been asked to accept office as vice-presi dent of the Pacific Islands Society. This is intended as a form of appreciation of the Judge's long years of good service in the New Zealand Territory.