Nov. I, 1886.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



%^1 



of experience available for the benefit of would-be 

 Rhea planters, asd what there is must be studied 

 in view of the circumetances under which it has 

 been obtained. Every planter will have to find out 

 for himself what treatment is best adapted for his 

 own climate, soil and other conditions. 



The experiment at Glenrock has e.Kcited consider- 

 able local interest not only amongst the neighbouring 

 planters, but also (mirabile diet)' at this stage) 

 amongst native cultivators as well ; it is only the 

 difficulty of obtaining plant that has hindered them 

 from already beginning on their own account. I am 

 quite satisfied that before another year has passed, 

 the cultivation of Rhea will be vigorously taken up 

 by the natives, especially in the Coimbatore District. 

 Plants and seed have been promised already to 

 several of the headman of the villages, who have 

 asked to be supplied. 



I am indebted to Mr. J. W. Minchin, the able Manager 

 of the Glenrock Estates, for a vast amount of use- 

 ful information, the result of his own careful observ- 

 ation and experience during the past 18 months. 

 Mr. Minchin was sent out to India early in ISS4 

 for the special purpose of introducing the cultivation 

 of Rhea. On his voyage out he obtained la small 

 supply of plants from Algiers, these were dug up 

 and roughly packed in boxes, and after a long and 

 trying voyage at the hottest season of thd year, 

 were deUvered at Glenrock in the mouth of May. 

 The roots were at once planted, and from them 

 about 2,500 plants were obtained to start with. In 

 the following November 200,000 plants had been 

 obtained from the original stock by cuttings, layers, 

 and root divisions. These were again, taken up and 

 divided, and in June last the number of plants had 

 been increased to above two millions. A remarkable 

 example of arithmetical progression applied to agri- 

 culture deserves to be recorded. From one root 

 planted in January seven stems were cut, each 

 divided into five cuttings, three eyes to each cutting, 

 most began to grow in a week ; from the roots 

 bulbous tubers formed nearly filling up all the space 

 between the roots at 18 inches apart. From this 

 one plant 57 strong root cuttings were taken, making 

 in all 83 plants, from one root not five months in 

 the ground, and that under unfavourable circum- 

 stances, poor soil, and no water or shade. Again, a 

 single root left undisturbed for a year had so increased 

 in size that 42 stems were counted in various stages 

 of growth. 



The plants require to be left a whole year before they 

 should be cut for fibre. During the second year only 

 half a crop should be expected, the yield of the 

 third year will be greater, and from the fourth year 

 full crops be cut. This is Algerian exp^irience, but 

 it remains to be seen if the rule holds good in 

 India. la Algiers they reckon the average weight 

 of each stem when ready to cut to be \h oz., and 

 they obtain ribbons to the weight of 10 per cent of 

 the green stems. Mr. Minchin states that the 

 average weight of Glenrock greeu stems when mature 

 is 3 ounces, but he has not hitherto obtained more 

 than 7^ per cent of ribbons. There can be no doubt 

 that the growth is far more robust in India than in 

 Algiers, and the plants too carry far more moisture, and 

 this may account for the smaller percentage of 

 ribbons to the green stuff cut. The season of 

 cutting may also make a considerable difference. 

 Then again all the French calculations are based on 

 the results obtained from Urt'ica ienacissiwa, Hoxb., 

 whilst Mr. Miuchin's refer to Urtica Nivaa. He 

 has both species in cultivation at Glenrock, and re- 

 marks on the great difference between them. The 

 latter being far more robust in habit and quicker in 

 growth, though it m^y be that experience will prove 

 that the foimer will yield as good a crop when 

 thoroughly established, and the smaller weight of 

 stem may yield a higher percentage of ribbons. 

 During the wet seasons the stems will certainly 

 contain a fur greater waste of moisture ihau at other 

 times, and this is the case with Vrtica Nivea, with 

 stcn'.s 7 to 3 feet long, and weighing over 6 ounces 

 eacli. It dtes not, however, follow that the actual 



weight of fibre will be less, neither can it be sail 

 that the same results would follow in ditferdnt parts 

 of India under different conditions of soil, tem- 

 perature, rainfall, &;c. These are points that each 

 planter must find out from his own experience, and 

 doubtless we shall .dl be very much wiser a few years 

 hence. A gentleman told me a few days ago that 

 he had seen Urtica Xivea growing in Italy with 

 stems fiom 10 to 12 feet high, but he could not 

 tell me what povcentage of fibre it yielded, which 

 after all is the important point. I should recommend 

 planters to try uuy species they can get, for they 

 all yield excellent fibre in remunerative quantity. 



Vrtica candicani is also grown at Glenrock, 

 but I have no intorraatiou about it. IJrticn Nivea 

 may be known by its leaves, the undersurface of 

 which is silvery-white. In Vrtica tenacissima the under- 

 surface of the leaf is green. 



I have already referred to the extraordinary 

 rapidity with which the varieties of Urtica can ha 

 propagated by cuttings and root division, plants 

 raised in this manner make new growth very quickly. 

 In one month new shoots appear, in three mouths 

 the shoots will be four feet high, and in six months 

 there will be five or six strong stems. .Separations 

 of the tubers are, however, much slower in growth 

 than cuttings, and in hot dry weather the best mode of 

 propagation is by layering without complete separation, 

 Mr. Minchiu sowed 2 lb. weight of seed on the 

 27 th March occupying an area of 1,400 square ftet, 

 germination took place on the ;3rd April. Much 

 trouble was at first experienced with ants, but a 

 little kerosine oil mixed with the water successfully 

 kept off the depredators. In four months the seed- 

 lings were 18 inches high and strongly rooted, both 

 cuttings and seedlings require partial shade till they well 

 established. 1 am inclined to think that for most districts 

 in India seedlings will ultimately prove to be the most 

 satistactor}', because the roots of plants raised from cutt- 

 ings seem to have a tendency to spreatl laterally, and do 

 not strike ileeply into the ground, these will be sure 

 to suffer more or less in long continued drought. 

 On the other hand, the tap root of seedling pene- 

 trates vertically, and seek moisture at a considerable 

 depth. The French recommend their own system of 

 planting out at 18 inches apart, so that each acre will 

 contain 16,000 plants. This, no doubt, applies to 

 the 1-ss vigorous species J'rtica tenacissima, and in 

 a cliniale!ess forcing than that of Indi-i. At Glenrock 

 Mr. Minchin has put in his plants in six-feet beils. 

 separated by a one-foot drain, two rows in e.'ich bed 3 

 feet apart, and 18 inches between the plants on the row, so 

 tliat in (Meurock 7,000 plants occupy an acre. He 

 finds that the space between the plants quickly till 

 up with new growth, and the ground soon becomes 

 quite covered. Irrigation is a matter of considerable 

 importance, as it will probably make a difference 

 of one crop in the year. A portion of the Glen- 

 rock plantings was left without any artificial water- 

 ing, in order to observe the result. It was found 

 that although root growth was not materially checked, 

 there was scarcely any movement above ground 

 between the months of February and May. Oil 

 the irrigated fields the dry heat did not seem to 

 affect the development of the shoots in the least, 

 in eleven days stems were observed to have grown 

 15 inches. Growth is more vigorous on the hollows 

 than on ridges, or on level ground. At Glenrock 

 the altitude above the sea is about 2,000 feet, and 

 the rainfall is exceedingly heavy during the monsoon. 

 Rhea is also being grown in the Bbowatii Aalley 

 at the foot of the Neilgherrie H.lls, in the ('oini- 

 batore district. Here, where the soil is rich and 

 the climate very forcing, the devciopmeiit of the 

 plant jippears to he much more rapid and the 

 growth more unitorui and vigorous than at the 

 greater altitude of the Wynaul. 0!ose planting is 

 strongly advocated in order to induce tall, straight 

 growth and check the formation of side branches, 

 it is also said to be a great protection from the 

 ravages of caterpillars and other insect posts wliicli 

 devour the leaves, and so caiso side growth. As 

 regards shading, the practice varies considerably i i\ 



