l&Z 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Sept*, i, 1886. 



PALMS AND THEIR USES. 



From an article so headed, in the Indian Gardener, 

 we quote as follows : — 



OocoNUT (Cocos nucifera).—Pi. palm, native of the 

 coasts of tropical Africa, India, Malay and Islands 

 of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is generally 

 cultivated throughout all tropical countries, but thrives 

 best near the sea, and requires no special care. The 

 tree varies in height from 50 to 100 feet, and has 

 long-winged leaves, the so-called nuts being produced 

 in bunches of 10 to 20 or more together. They 

 are of a triangular form, about a foot long, consisting 

 of a thick coat of fibre, enclosing a hard shell, which, 

 with its contents, is known as the coconut. It is 

 commonly said that the uses of the coconut are as 

 numerous as the days in a year, afltording food, drink, 

 domestic utensils and materials for building and 

 thatching. In some parts of India and other countries, 

 the white albumen of the nut forms nearly the entire 

 food of the natives, and the white fluid or milk 

 serves them for drink. It also yields wine and sugar. 

 Ooconut-oil is obtained by pressing the albumen. When 

 fresh it is transparent, and is then used in cookery. 

 Large quantities of it are imported into this country 

 under the name of copra ; the thicker portion, called 

 Stearine, being used for making caudles, while the 

 clear oil is used for burning in lamps. The well- 

 known substance Glycerine is obtained in the process 

 of purif ving coconut-oil. Formerly the fibre was used 

 for making coir ropes only, but within the last 30 

 years it has been manufactured into floor-matting, 

 brushes and brooms, and is used for stufiing cushions, 

 as well as for many other purposes. The hard shell is 

 made into cups and other domestic utensils. The 

 wood is known as porcupine wood. 



Coconut Double {Lodoicea seychellarum.). — This 

 may be considered the largest and most remarkable 

 of "palms. It is a native of a small group of islands 

 in the Indian Ocean called the Seychelles. It is said 

 to attain a height of 100 feet, its stem being 1| to 

 S feet in diameter, bearing at the summit a crown 

 of fan-shaped leaves. It is remarkable for growing 

 in a socket of hard woody texture, perforated with 

 holes made by the roots. This curious appendage 

 derives its origin from the cotyledon, which in this 

 palm attains the extraordinary length of 2 feet, growing 

 downwards like a root, having the germ (plumule) 

 seated in its thickened end. When perfect, the thick 

 end opens on one side like a sheath, out of which 

 rise the first succeeding leaves of the plant, roots 

 also being produced, which make their exit by 

 piercing the end of the sheath. In time the nutri- 

 ment of the nut becomes exhausted, and the part 

 of the cotyledon between it and the young plant 

 withers. The latter, however, retains its placental 

 vital connection with the sheath end of the coty- 

 ledon, which is henceforth nourished by the plant, 

 and increases in size with its growth, which thus 

 continues seated in the cradle of its birth through 

 life. This formation appears, however, to be commmon 

 to the palms, but very much more largely developed 

 in the Lodoicea. The fruit is a large oblong nut, 

 covered with a thin rind. After the removal of the 

 outer envelope ar rind, the fruit has the appearance 

 of two oblong nuts, firmly united together, and often 

 weighs 80 to 40 lb. They are borne in bunches, each 

 consisting of nine or ten nuts, so that a whole 

 bunch win often weigh 400 lb. It takes ten years 

 to ripen its fruits, the albumen of which is similar 

 to that of the common coconut, but is too hard and 

 horny to serve as food. The shell is converted into 

 many useful articles by the natives, but the most im- 

 portant part is the leaves, which are made into hats, 

 baskets, aud the like. The demand has of late years 

 become' so great that in order to obtain the leaves 

 the trees are cut down, aud as no care is taken to 

 form new plantations, it was at one time feared 

 this palm would eventually become extinct. In 1864 

 the leading botanists in this country petitioned the 

 Government for its protection. By more recent in- 

 formation, however, it appears that in one island 

 alone there are many thousands of trees. 



A FEW HINTS ON MANAGEMENT OF TEA 



PLANTATIONS IN INDIA. 



The following hhits were written several years ago 



and as they contain matter which may be generally 



useful, it is deemed advisable to reproduce them here : — 



Treatment of Coolies.— There is a great deal in 

 this. I do not mean for a moment to say you can 

 always keep your temper with them, but in many 

 instances harsh tones are used M'hen absolutely un- 

 necessary and do ho good, but a lot of harm, as 

 you will find when you come to having to renew their 

 agreements. There is an art in the management 

 of coolies which few know, or knowing can put into 

 daily use. The following are a few general hints 

 which I do not say are infallible, but which, in my 

 experience, I have found very successful: — Don't bear 

 a grudge against any cooly. If they mis-behave punish 

 and be done with it and never allude to the offence 

 again. In some instances a glass of grog after 

 punishment is a very good thing, and ask the offender 

 when giving the grog why he, or she, was so foolish 

 as to make you angry, &c. Impudence and imperti- 

 nence check in the bud, command respect by your 

 actions, treat the sick kindly, obtain the confidence 

 of your people, never fail to fulfil your promise, 

 if possible, or explain the cause of failure, deal fairly 

 with your people, demand obedience, and at once 

 check the slightest disobedience of orders. Insist 

 on your system being carried out to the letter and 

 after a time things will work almost mechanically. 

 Kindness in the most of instances will be found 

 successful. 



Jiruster of the coolies. — Insist on every cooly being 

 present who is able to attend and let the sick attend 

 the dispensary for medicine, &c., thereafter ; see that 

 you are at muster yourselves. In a few instances 

 I have noticed the sahib's absence. 



Compounders. — In almost, in fact I may say, in 

 every instance, too much is left to these people, 

 they are inexferienced aud as the most of their 

 books are kept in English, I have to request that 

 the European in charge sign the sick list book daily, 

 the same as the Jcamjari and take more interest in 

 the sick, i.e., seeing them oftener, and seeing that 

 they have every comfort in a moderate degree at 

 any rate. 



Lines. — The cleaning of these^is somewhat neglected. 

 I would like this done without fail every Sunday 

 the coolies have leave; if they were, there would 

 be little to do and the coolies would be healthier 

 themselves. 



Wdghhifi of Leaf. — I particularly wish that in every 

 instance the coolies receive pice for extra leaf immedi- 

 ately the leaf is weighe-i. The system of after 

 payment I do not approve of, neither do the coolies, 

 for all extra work let ticca pice be paid the evening 

 the work is done. Cacharries only may be paid as 

 heretofore, and you will find your coolies more ready 

 to do extra work when required. This, as far as 

 practicable, of course, your personal at<^endance at 

 the weighing and disposing of the leaf I expect, 

 when inconvenient let a trustworthy man give the 

 pice. 



Papers. — There is yet vast room for improvement 

 in the filing aud keeping of these. Some of you 

 are very careless, and will, I am sure, have to pay 

 for your negligence some day. It is very easily done, 

 if done when it should be, i.e. immediately on receipt 

 thereof. 



Marriage amonif Coolifs.— Before marriage, or as 

 soon thereafter L* ever possible, the usual agreement 

 and marriage cont-ract be signed, and in no instance 

 is any one to allow one man to keep two women 

 without my special permission. Of course this does 

 not apply to I he past, but to the future. The two- 

 wife system is bad and in every instance leads to 

 squabbling and annoyance. 



JVithennq and rivcking of Leaf.^l am now more 

 convinced than over that the two great secrets in 

 making fino strong teas are plucking every seven 

 days and withering the leaf well, followed up by 

 proper fermentation, depend the quality of the teas 



