IIG 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



April IS, 1908. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT 



COCOA-NUT CULTIVATION. 



The Brazilian journal El Hacienda recently 

 contained a lengthy article dealing with the cultivation, 

 manuring, etc., of cocoa-nut plantations. Some of the 

 points dealt with are worthy of reproduction. 



In the nursery where the soecllings are groAxn, it is 

 recommended that the nuts be planted, base uppermost, in 

 raised banks of earth, the nuts being placed quite close to each 

 other. Germination takes place in about four or five months, 

 and transplanting may be carried out when the plants have 

 three or four leaves. The young trees are set out at distances 

 of from 2.3 to 28 feet each way. The more fertile the soil, 

 the greater the distance at which they may be set, since growth 

 is more rapid. 



The holes dug to receive the cocoa-nut plants should be 

 about ;3 feet in diameter, and it is advantageous to half till 

 the hole with manure, or earth mi.\ed with ashes, (irowth 

 is more raj)id in a fairly loose soil. In dry seasons or dry 

 districts it will be necessary to water the young plants regu- 

 larly, and indeed the tree is one that always repays atten- 

 tion to provide a good supply of water. Depth of soil is very 

 favourable to good growth of the cocoa-nut. 



For the first two or three years after planting, the 

 cultivator may with advantage raise other rrops, sucli as 

 maize, cassava, ground nuts, etc., between the row.-- of palms. 

 If the last-named crop is grown and ploughed, in, tlicie will be 

 a considerable gain to the fertility of the soil. I tegular 

 cultivation of the land din-ing the early years of growth of the 

 cocoa-nut trees must be undertaken in order to bring about 

 development of the jilantation at the earliest date. E.xpericn- 

 ced growers assert that the cost of such operations is fully 

 repaiil by the enhanced returns obtained. 



Some yield of fruit may be given on good soil, where the 

 trees have received every attention, at the end of livi- years 

 after planting, but a full ('rop will not be olitained until from 

 the seventh to the tenth year. 



At the end of the fifth year it is refomniendcd that tin- 

 whole of the jilantation be cleared of otjifr crops, under- 

 growth, ctr., and tlir l;\n(l rcciMve a fairly deep ploughing. 

 The soil siiould not be disturbed, however, ton near the roots 

 of the jialms. 



As a general rule, the aiiplication of fertilizers to the 

 cocoa-nut cro[) is rejiaid by an increased yield, but manures 

 .shoulil not be given until the trees have commenced to bear. 

 In fact, unless the soil is poor, manuring may be deferred 

 until one or two crops have been obtained. 



Pen manure, and the use of green manure, such as 

 ground nuts (ab-eady mentioned), cow pea.s, and vehet bean.s, 



are reported to form excellent dressings for cocoa-nut planta- 

 tions. On some estates in Ceylon it is stated to be the 

 custom to tether cattle to the trunk.s of the trees, allowing 

 tlieni in this way to manure the plantation with their drop- 

 pings. In order to obtain the best results the manure 

 should be afterwards worked into the soil by cultivation. 



\ dressing of manure may occasionally be given with 

 advantage, even though the plantation shows no sign of 

 falling otl' in condition. The ground should be ploughed and 

 the manure worked into the soil. As in the case of most 

 other fi-uit trees, it is usually preferable to dress cocoa-nut 

 palms with .slow-acting manures, such as bone meal, basic 

 slag, organic refuse, cotton seed meal, etc., instead of u.'ing 

 quick acting manures, such as nitrate of soda and superphos- 

 phate. In the former case, the results are not at once 

 apparent, liui they are continuous, and spread over a con- 

 siderable lime. Nitrogen and iihosphoric acid are stated to 

 lie the elements chiefly hece.ssar^-, liiit, except on very heavy 

 soils, an occasional dressing of a potas.sic manure should 

 certainly also be given, since large quantities of potassium 

 salts are removed from the soil by a crop of coco.a-nuts. 



When the husks are removed from the nuts on the 

 plantation, these should always be lanied between the rows 

 of palms, since a considerable amount of fertilizing matter 

 is returned to the soil in this way. 



An average return of nuts is usually considered to be 

 about 3,000 per acre, and assuming si.xty trees to this 

 area, each tree would give about fifty nuts. With judicious 

 i-nltivation and manuring, however, this return, it is stated, is 

 not infroipiently increased to seventy or eighty nuts ]]er tree, 

 which means a total of from 4,200 to -f,SOO nuts per acre. 



CITRON PEEL REQUIRED. 

 A letter has been received by the Imperial 

 Coiinnissioner of Agriculture from a firm of produce 

 dealers in Tjondon, in which this company states that 

 it would be glad to receive samples of citron peel, cured 

 ready for the use of confectioners. Growers who 

 propose to send samples should communicate in tlie 

 first instance with the Imperial Department of Agri- 

 culture, stating the price (per lb. or otherwise) delivered 

 in London. They should also mention the proliable 

 quantity that could be shipped if required, and also the 

 season of the jear when this ])roduct is available. The 

 market for citron peel is at present not a large one, 

 but it is probable that the demand might become more 

 extensive if it is known that a good supply can be 

 relicil upon. 



