17S 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



June 12, 190!). 



a mulch upon the surface pf the soil, was pointed 

 out. It is frequently thought advisable not to 

 allow the vegetation to grow close up to the trees, 

 but by occasional hoeing and forking, to keep a circle 

 immediately around the trunks cle.-ir of weeds. 

 The good results following this practice had already 

 been noticed in one or two lime orchards at Dominica 

 and elsewhere, where the weeds had been allowed to 

 grow for some time before being cut down. Under this 

 system the soil, thu\igh cpiite untitled Viy implements, 

 remains in a good state of tilth, anil the roots of the 

 weeds that have been cut down decay and leave air 

 .spaces, which reach to a considerable depth in the soil. 

 The weeds, spread over the surface, form an e.xcellent 

 mulch, conserving moisture and adding steadily to the 

 store of humus. They increase, it is true, the evapora- 

 tion of moisture from the soil, but all plant food 

 removed is returned when the weeds are cut down and 

 undergo decay. These conditions approach very closely 

 to those which prevail on natural forest land where 

 fertile virgin soil is in process of formation. Another 

 advantage in favour of this system is the saving of 

 labour effected, as compared with estates on which 

 continuous weeding is ('aiTied on. 



On the other hnnd, everyone who has considered 

 the subject must realize that great harm is necessarily 

 done to the soil, and to the crops growing thereon, by 

 exposure of the land to the alternate influences c)f 

 a baking tropical sun, and heavy downpours of rain, 

 both ot which have a very injurious intiuence. Where 

 the rainfall is heavy, and on steeply sloping land, an 

 uncovered state of the ground oH'ei's the conditions 

 \inder which the lighter surface soil is most readily 

 washed aw.ay. There is further the loss of the 

 large supply of humus that would be provided to 

 the soil if a crop of wild vegetation were grown 

 upon it, and afterwards mulciied on the surface 

 <;r dug into the land. Under such conditions 

 the crops suffer, not only because such a soil has 

 ii small water-retaining capacity, but because the 

 bactciia that are responsible for the chemical changes 

 whi(;h result in the production of a continuous supply 

 of plant food cannot e.xist ir) a dry, baked .soil, and the 

 roots themselves cannot therefore find means for 

 a living. 



The suggestions brought forward by Dr. Watts in 

 1901 were somewhat critically received .it the time, 

 although they found support in one or two ijuarters. 

 I'he.se principles have, however, since been applied in 

 a number of lime and cacao plantations, with bene- 

 ficial results. 



Reports and othiT agricultural publications from 



Ceylon and the Federated Malay States show, th'it in 

 those parts of the world also, the utility of the |.iac- 

 tice of clean weeding in permanent cultivations has 

 been very much questioned during recent years, and 

 encouragement given to the judicious growth of certain 

 weed plants under tree crops. This is particularly the 

 case in conne.xion with rubber cultivation, as on estates 

 where this crop is largely planted the cost of keeping 

 down the weeds was found to reach an enormous figure. 

 In the 1907 report of ]tli: J. U. Carruthers, Lately 

 Director nf Agriculture in the Federated Jlalav States, 

 .and now appointed to Trinidad, this point is dealt with, 

 and he recommends that rubber planters shoidd give 

 a trial to three i|uick-growing leguminrms weed plants, 

 i.i\, ('rotularid sfrtafa, Mimnsa jiiullca, imd Desrno- 

 (I III III fnflortnii. which rapidly cover the soil, keep 

 d'lwn weeds, .-ind increase the fertility of the land by 

 their nitrogen-assimilatijig propeities. No doubt the 

 practice might also be benetinally applied in connexion 

 with coffee cultivation, which in the ilalav States i.s 

 carri(.'d on over ;in area ot about 11,000 acres. 



Simihir recommeiulations to those of Mr. Car- 

 ruthers are being ui-ged upon the aitention of planters 

 in Ceylon. A recent issue of the Tnijiiful Aijr'n-iiLtarist 

 ((October 190.S) discussed this question in a leading 

 article. It was pointed out that where machinery was 

 available, on rubber and other estates the practice of 

 clean weeding was che.ap and efficient, not on account 

 of the removal of the weeds, but because the process 

 necessarily involved a certain .amount of surface culti- 

 vation, which resulteil in the provision of a mulch of 

 loose soil that retarded evaponition of moisture. In 

 other cases, it was probably better to grow sdertal 

 weeds, more particularly certain species of Lecuminosae. 



The ipiestion is one which demands a considerable 

 amount of investigation by means of well planneil 

 experiments. The conditions of soil and climate ir» 

 relation to the use of weeds have all to be investit'atefl 

 on the spot. Doubtless there must be a wide range ol 

 method in practice, and the correct method for any 

 particular place must be determined experimentally. 



The point is, that the modern agriculturist is not 

 satisfied that the best is being done in a rubber, cacao, 

 lime, or other orchard simply because there may be ai> 

 absence of weeds. 



Trinidad Cacao Exports. The amount of Trini- 



ilad cacao exported duriny the tliret' months ended Afarch 31 

 last, was L'l,472,;i78 lb., whicli was l,r)04,G72 Bj. in exce.ss 

 of the cpiantity shipped in the corresponding period of 

 I'.IOH, and a record lor ihe tirst ipiarter of the year, with 

 the excejition of tliat of 1904, when 22,000,000 It), were 

 exported. It is interesting to note that 9,riO(i Dj. of cacao- 

 were shipjied t<i .Austridia. (Ofii-inl It'hirni'.) 



