Diana Hershey, age ll,.of Visalia, California, for her question:

On what kind of tree does the coconut grow?

The coconut grows on a stately palm tree. The smooth, straight trunk of the palm may stand 100 feet tall. Its crown of long, feathery fronds spreads a shady umbrella high above the ground. The splendid palm thrives in moist, tropical climates in easy reach of the salty sea. It is at home on tropical islands of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, in the West Indies and the East Indies. The whiskery brown coconut is a seed and when planted in the right conditions it grows into a new coconut `palm tree.

In coconut plantations, the young trees are weeded and tended for their first two years of life. They need little care through the next four years. Then, at the age of six, the palms are old enough to bear fruit. Each free bears from SO to 60 coconuts every year, high among its feathery fronds. A coconut palm may live and continue to bear until it reaches the age of 80.