20 



THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS. 



Januaey 17, 1914. 



FRUIT AND FRUIT TREES. 



THE MANURING OP COOO-NUTS. 



Now that the cultivation of coco-nuts is becoming more 

 intensive and extending to include the better lands, the 

 question of maintaining and improving the fertility of the 

 soil in regard to mineral nutrition is receiving considerable 

 attention. In Tobago, an extensive series of manurial 

 experiments vpere started in 1911 and the results for one 

 year will be found described in Bulletin No. 71 of the 

 Department of Agriculture, Trinidad and Tobago. The 

 results were not conclusive. It was found that the yields 

 from the various plots on each estate varied largely even in 

 two of the control plots. The opinion was expressed that 

 this might be due to the peculiarities of each individual 

 tree, that is, some trees might be naturally more prolific 

 than others It is held that it is neces.sary to know the 

 natural yield of the group of trees comprising each plot 

 previous to the application of manures. The Department of 

 Agriculture fnd I5oard of Agriculture have accordingly con- 

 sidered it advisable to start new series of experiments, the 

 results of which will be published in due course. 



Whereas the experiments in Tobago dealt with above, 

 comprise the application of mineral manures principally, it is 

 important not to forget another and equally important 

 aspect of the subject, namely, the application and effect 

 of natural organic manures. This work has been considered 

 in the Seychelles. It is stated in the Monthly Bulletin 

 of Agricultvral Intelligence and Plant Di^enses (October 

 1913) that the quantity of mineral matter removed from the 

 soil by the coco-nut palm is considerable when the fibre and 

 the leaves are not returned. The copra itself represents 

 a very small proportion — only about one-fifth of this quantity. 

 It would seem, therefore, desirable to utilize the leaves and 

 other residues before considering other manures of a mineral 

 nature. By far the most interesting suggestion is the recom- 

 mendation that green manures {Tep/irosia Candida, etc.) 

 should be planted, and that farmyard manure, and particu- 

 larly seaweed should be used where possible. In connexion 

 ■with seaweed it will be useful to bear in mind that another 

 excellent manure for coco-nuts derived from the sea could 

 be obtained by the organization of fisheries. In the West 

 Indian islands, there are extensive coco-nut plantations close 

 enough to the sea to render the collection and transporta- 

 tion of these products of the ocean practicable, and the view 

 may be expressed that it would be extremely useful and 

 important if a series of manurial experiments could be 

 conducted with seaweed and fish in the West Indies, not 

 merely to take into account the increase in the number of 

 nuts produced per S). of manure applied, but also to involve 

 the commercial possibilities of the idea in its widest aspect. 



THE 'GOOTEE' METHOD OF 



PROPAGATION. 



Although the process for propagating plants described 

 below has be<-n employed for ages in India and for a con- 

 siderable period of time in Australia, there seems to be no 

 harm in calling attention to the operation for the benefit of 

 those readers in the West Indies who may not be familiar 

 with the subject. The information has been obtained from 

 the (Jiieensland Agricidtuial Journal (November 1913), 

 though the original source seems to have been the Tropical 

 Agriculturist of Ceylon. 



The 'gootee' mode of propagating plants is adopted in 

 the case of trees which are difficult to raise by layering, or 

 which seldom set seed, and also as a means of increasing 

 any tree of special merit, or a part of a tree exhibiting 

 a variation which it is desirable to perpetuate. It is often 

 of special value in the propagation of fruit trees, where it is 

 desired to obtain early-bearing plants. In carrying out the 

 operation, it is necessary to select a firm and healthy branch 

 with well-ripened wood immediately under a leaf bud or 

 node: Take off a small rim of bark about 1 inch wide. To 

 this apply a ball of clay soil, holding it securely together 

 with coir fibre, tovsr or moss, and bandaging all firmly round 

 the branch. 



A little above this is hung a pot, and through the hole 

 in the bottom of this vessel a piece of rope is introduced and 

 a knot is tied at the end of the rope, which should fit tightly 

 against the hole when the rope is drawn through. The oDrd 

 thus secured by its knotted end in the pot, is carried on at 

 full stretch and coiled round the 'gootee'. By this arrange- 

 ment the water, with which the pot is kept supplied, oozes 

 slowly out, trickles down tlie lope and along the coil and so 

 distributes itself over the whole 'gootee'. After three or 

 four months young roots should be seen protruding through 

 the binding. At this stage the branch may be cut from the 

 parent tree, and planted where it is intended it should 

 remain. The operation may lie carried out best in wet 

 weather, commencing as soon as active growth in the 

 tree begins. 



Banana Industry in Cuba.— According to the 

 Cuba Maga-.iut (September 1913) the commercial produc- 

 tion of bananas in Cuba is not a very profitable business 

 chietly because of lack of transportation, for in most places 

 there are no cart roads, and the fruit has to be brought to 

 the shipping point on mule back. The exporting season 

 lasts but seven or eight months, during only five of which 

 as a rule can good prices be obtained. 



The bananas that Cuba exports go principally to Boston, 

 New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, these shipments 

 amounting to over 2,500,000 bunches a year. It is observed 

 that the number of saleable bunches per acre varies a great 

 deal, due to soil, rain, care, age of plantation, etc., and ranges 

 from 100 to 200 bunches. Bunches under six 'hands' are 

 not sold for export but are fed to cattle; these amount to 

 about 10 per cent, of the planting. 



The establishment of banana plantations goes on in 

 Cuba year after year, but it must be remembered that 

 a large amount of this is for the specific purpose of providing 

 the necessary shade for young coffee and cacao until the 

 latter crops are in bearing. 



Horticultural Department. New Delhi.— 

 A communication has recently been received from the above 

 newly established institution asking for assistance in the 

 matter of aiding the development of the horticultural depart- 

 ment by means of the presentation of interesting trees, shrubs, 

 and palm seeds. The Gardens of the Department, it is under- 

 stood, are to form the embr3'o of the horticultural collections 

 of the new capital of British India, and the department is 

 responsible for the creation of all parks, gardens and open 

 spaces in the capital. It is understood that .spacious nurseries 

 are in course of erection and a general call is being made to 

 stock them with interesting and useful species. 



It is hoped that those authorities to whose notice this 

 information is brought will endeavour to assist this new 

 Indian establishment as far as it lies in their power to 

 do so. 



