This photo of a valley on the Vaivase side of the Vailele plantation shows how the Germans laid out their trees . They were generally planted in straight lines north to south , with a separation distance of 40ft by 40ft . This was to allow adequate light between trees to sustain pasture growth for browsing cattle , which kept down weeds and were a secondary industry . Planting in rows allowed room for bullocks and carts to move through the trees when nuts were being collected . To obtain the best seedlings the Germans exploited the most productive coconut trees . Each tree was numbered and the number of nuts that fell from each tree was counted . Records were kept in big ledger books . Seedlings from the most prolific trees were raised in a nursery and once sprouted were moved to the fields for planting .
| To Walk Under Palm Trees - The Germans in Samoa : Snapshots from Albums | Tony Brunt
McKay Family Collection ( opening of the Apia Rifle Club , Easter , 1925 )
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