354 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



1914. 



FRUIT AND FRUIT TREES. 



THE VANILLA INDUSTRY IN THE 

 SEYCHELLES. 



The crop of vanilla for 1913 was even lower tlian that 

 for last year and the lowe.st on record since 1895. It 

 amounted to 11,264 lb. of a declared value of Rs. S.5,697 or 

 about 10.«. 3id. per It). The prices are good after having 

 been as low as ix. .'W. jx-i- lb. a few years ago, and these 

 higli prices have induced ])lanterw to resume vanilla culture 

 ■ which had nearly been abandoned during the years of 

 drought between 1904 and 1911. 



Under the influence of a good rainfall from November 

 1911 until now (March 1914) vanilla vines are showing very 

 good growth, especially in those localities where manuring 

 with alternate layers of lime and earth following heavy 

 mulching with dry weeds is adopted. 



ilany complaints were maile in times of drought about 

 insects attacking vanilla vines, roots or pods, causing the 

 death of the plants. At present no such complaints are 

 heard, and vines of excellent growth are seen everywhere 

 Howering and fruiting abundantly, in spite of the myriads of 

 ants which crawl upon the vines at the time of flowering 

 in search of juice excretions where a few scale insects 

 happen to congregate. The.se are sheltered by the ants from 

 their natural enemies by structures very often made of the 

 '.sooty mould' found in the neighbourhood on the vanilla props 

 attacked by scale Vjugs. It was long thought that the ants 

 were causing the destruction of vanilla flower buds, but plan- 

 ters now realize that the ants are not injurious, having seen 

 vines infested with ants flowering luxuriantly luider the 

 influence of good weather conditions, and pnxlucing in some 

 cases as many as seventeen l>unches of pods on the same vine. 



The vanilla vines planted in many localities since 1911 

 (November) have not yet conie into bearing. The weather 

 during the year under review (1913) having been propitious, 

 better crops are anticipated in the near future. However, 

 vanilla, which was introduced into Seychelles about fifty 

 years ago, has been planted all over the colony, but the vines 

 no longer grow- as well as formerly on soils which have been 

 devoted to the same plant for such a long time. The question 

 of manuring has lieen taken up by a few prominent planters 

 with marked success, and a new and complete set of experiments 

 is being arranged at the Botanic Station in order to help 

 planters in the selection of the cheapest and most efficient 

 manures. 



It is also contemplated to carry out a set of tield trials 

 on .fT,-acre plot on an estate near Government House newly 

 acquired in order to determine the best shade trees for vanilla, 

 the best props for growing the vines, the best time for 

 pruning, the best physical and bacteriological conditions of 

 the soil, and the best method of irrigation and of .selecting 

 vines to be used as cuttings. (Annual liepin-t nn Jli/riculture 

 and Croirn Land,', Seychelles, 191.3.) 



COPRA IN CEYLON. 



Those interested in coco-mil cultivation will doubtless 

 read with interest the following remarks on the actual cost 

 of making copra in Ceylon, taken U-nm Tropical Life, 

 June 1914. 



It costs in Ceylon on a well-managed estate 12Ss. a ton 

 to produce copra, of which expense half is incurred in 

 manuring the palms. During 1913 copra realized an average 



price in Ceylon of £25 12s. a ton. The profits .seem good. 

 Another fact of interest is stated in the same article. After 

 a good year of rain 4,396 nuts are sufficient to make a ton 

 of copra, while a less rainj- year can increase the nuudier 

 required by 15 per cent. 



In the issue of the .same journal for September 1914 

 there is a striking account of the spoilage of copra on a large 

 scale in the hold of a stranded steamer on the coast of Luzon. 

 It was foun<l that bacterial action was taking place through- 

 out the mass of copra, resulting in the production of a large 

 amount of hydrogen sulphide. The corrosive action of the 

 free acidity produi'ed is shown by an illustration of its ertects 

 on tlie lu'onze propeller shaft of one of the ship's launches. It 

 is probable that many instances of the deterioration of copra 

 in transport are repetitions of the above conditions on a small 

 scale. The rate of bacterial action depends upon the care 

 used in preparing the copra, and the degree of moisture 

 present. With carefully dried copra the deterioration due to 

 bacterial energy will be much reduced, though it can hardly 

 be avoided com[)letel}' until more satisfactorv sterilizing 

 methods of prcpav.ition are generally employed. 



MANURIAL EXPERIMENTS WITH 

 COCO-NUTS IN NEVIS. 



(.)ii the |irincipal cjco-nut estate in Nevis the trees 

 continue to thrive, and are bearing well. During the quarter 

 ended Septendier 30, 1914, 16,000 nuts were shii)ped, and 

 a large numbei- is being germinated to be planted on 

 a neighl.iouring estate. Some idea of the importance which 

 is attached to the prospects before coco-nut cultivation in 

 Nevis can be got from the fact that a series of manurial 

 experiments are l)eing carried out on the property first 

 referred to, under the supervision of the hical I)epartment i)f 

 Agriculture. Those interested in coco-nuts will no doubt be 

 glad to lie in receipt of information concerning the plan that 

 is being adopted, and will await with interest the results that 

 will lie olitained in due course. 



There are eight experimental plots, each i-acre in area, 

 anil there are twenty-eight trees in each ])lot. The series 

 is as follows: — 



Plot 1 is the (-(jntiol ]ilot. 



Plot 2 received as manure 8 estate Ijaskets of pen 

 manuiv |ier tree. 



Plot 3 received as manure 8 lb. of tankage per tree. 



Plot 4 received as manure 8 Dfi. of basic slag and 4 lb. 

 of sulphate of potash per tree. 



Plot 5 received as manure 4 fi). of sulphate of ammonia 

 per tree. 



Plot 6 received as manure 4 lb. of sulphate of amm )nia, 

 8 B). liasic slag and 4 B). of sulphate of potash per tree. 



Plot 7 received as manure 8 Db. Ijasic slag per tree. 



Plot S recieved as manure 8 K). of cotton-.seed meal 

 per tree. 



The manures were applied on July 30, and the nuts on 

 the trees in each jjlot were counted and the numbers recorded. 



The experimental plots are visited once a month by the 

 Agricultural Instructor for the purpose of counting and 

 recoiding the dry mits which fall frr)ni the trees. 



In connexion with these experiments reference may be 

 made to manurial trials with coco-nuts condiu-ted in t_'eylon, 

 an account of which was published in the Ai/ricultural ^eins 

 for September 12, 1914. 



