324 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



October 11, 1913. 



FRUIT AND FRUIT TREES. 



MANURIAL AND SHADING EXPERIMENTS 

 WITH CACAO IN CEYLON. 



It has been established in the West Indies, particularly 

 at Dominica, that the most remunerative form of manurial 

 treatment for cacao is mulching, and, to a less extent, the 

 application of cotton seed meal. Results somewhat different 

 to these have been obtained in Ceylon. 



In Bulletin Xo. 5, issued by the Department of Agri- 

 culture, Ceylon, a table of figures is given which sets forth 

 the results of the cacao manurial experiments at Peradenyia, 

 1906-12. In this it is seen that the unmanured or control 

 plot gave 26 cwt. of cured cacao, whereas the application 

 of sulphate of ammonia, at the rate of 250 Bb. per acre, to 

 another plot of the same size led to the production of 

 60 cwt. of cured cacao. A similar increase resulted from 

 the application of 107 Bi. per acre of potassium chloride. 

 These manures just mentioned produced the maximum 

 increased yield. Trenched and buried debris with lime 

 applied at the rate of 10 cwt. per acre led to the production 

 of 4 2 cwt of cured cacao; basic slag (at the rate of SOO fl). 

 per acre) buried with lime and twigs also gave 42 cwt.; 

 trenched and buried debris with 10 cwt. of lime and forked 

 round, resulted in a yield of 3 6 cwt.: cattle manure forked in 

 round the trees (at the rate of 10 tons per acre) gave 40 cwt.; 

 ground nut cake ^at the rate of 896 R). per acre) gave 5 cwt. 



It is stated in the bulletin that these results are pub- 

 lished as records, not with a suggestion that any finality has 

 yet been reached, since subsidiary influences will require 

 many years to be eliminated. That influences other than 

 those exerted by the manures applied are at work, is indicated 

 by the behaviour of the unmanured plots. No. 37 giving 

 over 100 per cent, more cacao than No. 32. 



Turning to the subject of the shading experiments 

 dealt with next in the publication, the figures presented 

 clearly indicate the evil effects that may follow from not 

 shading, or insufficiently shading, young plants. In the 

 table of results it is seen that the percentage of survivals 

 in 1912 of original trees was as follows: no shade, 37; low 

 shade, 57; high shade, 88. 



It is added that no further records will be kept of the 

 shade effects, since they cannot have a very wide application, 

 as localities with different elevations and rainfall require 

 different treatment. 



esting botanical fact, that nearly all the Anonas and all the 

 Rollinias, so far described, are indigenous to the New World, 

 nine species of Anona having been discovered in Tertiary 

 deposits in Europe. 



From the economic aspect, the value of the species of 

 these genera lies not only in the usefulness of their fruits, 

 but also in the unusual vigour of their growth, their wide 

 distribution under different conditions, and their decorative 

 value. 



LITTLE-KSOWX SPECIES OF ECOXO.MK ^■.\LUE. 



The main object of the paper from which the above 

 considerations have been abstracted is to supply a more or 

 less complete list of the different species together with their 

 more pronounced characteristics. Amongst this list it may be 

 of interest in the West Indies to call attention to 

 A. racayis, Warm., an attractive tree with edible fruit. 

 This plant, like thosfe which follow, is indigenous to Brazil. 

 A. (jeraensis. Barb., is a shrub 1 to 2 metres high with 

 yellow flowers and aromatic fruit with white flesh. It is 

 noted, in regard to A. rilabm, L, (the Mamon), that 

 this has been found a satisfactory stock for the cheri- 

 moya, the custard apple, the sour sop, and it appears 

 promising for the Biriba {Rollinin ort/ripetahi, [A.] DC.) too^ 

 This latter tree, also a native cf Brazil, possesses a rapid 

 and vigorous growth, attaining to a height of 10 metres. It 

 has been said that its fruit grows as large as a child's head, 

 but according to more authentic accounts, this statement is 

 an exaggeration. The flesh of the Biriba is white, sweet 

 and deliciously flavoured. 



Reference is also made, in some detail, to the charac- 

 teristics of the sugar apple, sour sop, cherimoya, marolo and 

 other fruit trees well known in the West Indies; but the 

 point which is emphasized in general, is that the quality of 

 these and the fruits specially referred to above, could be 

 vastly improved by hybridization and careful selection. 



ANONACEOUS POSSIBILITIES FOR 

 THE PLANT BREEDER. 



A consideration of a very apposite nature is pointed out 

 by P. J. Wester, in the P/ii/ippine Agnculltiral Rtvieiv (July 

 1913), to the effect that the reason why many tropical fruits 

 lack that distinction and flavour which characterize fruits of 

 temperate countries is because fruit culture in the Tropics 

 has never been the subject of very .systematic selection work. 



One of the most interesting groups of plants to which 

 the plant breeder in the Tmpics may devote his attention, 

 is the genus Anona (see AflrkuUnral JVec.'s, Vol XII, p, 68). 

 including some sixty or more species, and the closely related 

 Rollinia, with over twenty species belonging to the family 

 Anonaceae, of which an unusually large number of species 

 bear edible fruits. It may be noted in passing, as an inter- 



COST OF ESTABLISHING A COCO-NUT 

 PLANTATION. 



Interesting estimates are put forward in Bulletin No. 25 

 entitled The Philippine Coco nut Industry, issued by the 

 Department of Public Instruction, Manila, to show the 

 expenditure and the revenue during the first ten years of 

 a 2,500-acre coconut plantation on an island in the 

 Philippines, 



The following figures are reproduced from these 

 estimates:^ 



Expenditure. Revenue. 



For the sixth year, and those which follow, the 

 expenditure is put down at 625,000 per annum, After the 

 tenth year the revenue would remain constant at about 

 $136,000, giving a net income per annum of .§111,360, and 

 hence a dividend of 87 per cent. 



