Palm | Kelapa Sawit

No definitive statement has been found to show when the commercial exploitation of Kentia seeds from the South Pacific began. An advertisement in the British publication, Gardeners' Chronicle Magazine, for July 2, 1898, announced the arrival of 600,000 Kentia seeds, as the "grandest" consignment received for some years and "well worth the attention of the trade". On November 12 of the same year 122,550 seeds of Kentia Forsteriana were offered and on December 17 another consignment of 500,000 seeds were available. Even larger quantities were announced in the early months of 1899. In the course of that year it appears as though two million Kentia seeds were auctioned on the London market.
As the Kentia was becoming more and more popular in Europe and North America there emerged new greenhouse growers anxious to become involved in growing this most sought after new product. One group of greenhouses growers was the DeClerq family of Ghent, Belgium. They began importing Kentia seeds for their production operation as early as 1898. Their largest seed purchase initially was in the early 1900's when they imported 800,000 seeds from Lord Howe Island. Besides the DeClerqs there were a number of other Belgian and Dutch growers becoming involved with growing Kentias so that demand for securing seed for annual production was very competitive.
Lord Howe Island had established itself as the main producer of Kentia Palm seed in the early 1900's but smaller quantities were also becoming available from Australia and Norfolk Island. Growers such as the DeClerqs were diversifying their seed purchases. their first connection with Norfolk Island was when they bought 12 bushels ( 60,000 Kentia seeds ) from a Norfolk resident named Mr. Gazzard in 1937. Then again in 1947, when trade resumed after World War Two, records show that the DeClerqs obtained another 20 bushels ( 100,000 Kentia seeds ) from Norfolk Island.
Kentia Palm seed for shipping was predominately packed in small wooden boxes for shipping. Once the seed was placed in the box a quantity of aged sawdust was included. Method of shipping in those early days was by ship and seed consignments from Australia, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island could take anywhere up to six and a half months to reach a European destination.
It was normal during the travel time for some seed to begin germinating. So growers would have an advantage of planting the germinated seed right away into growing pots. The other ungerminated seed was then planted for conventional germinating.