April i, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



65 1 



would be for them to take every advantage of 

 scientific improvements in the direction of reduc- 

 ing the cost of production, the members of a plant- 

 ing association in the Preanger Regencies, have 

 taken the first step for the purpose, by sending 

 round to their fellow planters a circular request- 

 ing their cooperation in gaining the desirable end 

 in view. The Government has also been applied 

 to for part of the money required in the shape of 

 a subsidy. 



A gentleman named Carst who intends starting 

 a tobacco estate in Cotie on the East Coast of 

 Borneo, writes to a Batavia journal pointing out 

 that the British North Borneo Company has com- 

 mitted a blunder in failing to forward its tobacco 

 to Amsterdam or Rotterdam instead of to London. 

 In these Dutch cities, there is better chance of 

 securing higher prices, owing to the greater de- 

 mand for the article, in consequence of the 

 hundreds of dealers from Germany and America, 

 who carry on a brisk competition there. At 

 London, adequate competition is wanting from so 

 few dealers having the means to travel there for 

 th« purpose of buying tobacco. In fact, the con- 

 sumption of tobacco is so limited in Britain that 

 the latter country has no chance of becommg 

 a market or emporium for leaf, coming up to 

 the kinds produced in British North Borneo. 



MANURING FRUIT TREES. 



We have often noticed great waste of material and 

 labour expended on fruit trees, and because no visible 

 reward — by finer or more abundant produce — was ex- 

 perienced, the practice of surface-dressing was de- 

 nounced as useless, and then abanduned. But the mi»- 

 take wai in the application of the manure, the feed- 

 ing roots being far distant from the stems of the trees, 

 and I neeii not «ay that these roots had no assistance 

 rendered them whatever. In a large A\'est of England 

 orchard which we visited during last summer, manure 

 in abundance was placed over t he hard dry surface, in 

 circular form 1^ foot wide, by the trunks of the large 

 treei. The advice was copied from some horticultural 

 iournal, but certainly not to the letter, and it is because 

 •uch work ii often performed in such an unintelligent 

 manner that the instructions so well given have been 

 treated with contempt. Often manures scientifically 

 prepared to meet the wants of fruit trees, vegetables, 

 and flowers are denouuced as being worthless because 

 they bare been misapplied. 



Vines are frequently victims to barbarous treatment 

 in the manner indicated. Borders which may have been 

 well prepared with the best of material are long since 

 vacated by the feeding roots, which may have gone out 

 into the vegetable quarters, or into a hard road if such 

 were near by. Cultivators may sometimes be seeu treat- 

 ing such borders to their animal dose, or biennial supply 

 of choice manure, solid and liquid, and at the same time 

 all was waste — none could reach the feeders. The Vines 

 gradually failed, disease became prevalent, and failure 

 wa« certain. We have more than one such case in our 

 mind's eye at present, where valuable applications are 

 given which is utter waste. The hint given regarding 

 the renovation of the Madresfield Vines may be taken 

 by many who have long been helping (in vain) the roots 

 of their Vines, Trace the feeders to their utmost limit, 

 and good service may be then done by feeding them 

 whsre they can consume their food. 



Shrivelling is much complained of this season (we 

 haTe a little of it), but attribute it to absence of 

 moisture at the roots, or to a dry, hot atmosphere, 

 or both at the same time. Our shrivelling is easily 

 accoui.t-d for. The roots of some two Vines had 

 grown up into the surfacing of manure in the inside 

 border,»nd when damping the house was discontinued 

 these _ roots were dried up.— Oaiedonmn.— G'ar. 

 'Irncf-i Cliroiiirlfl. 



CULTIVATION OF CHAVICA BETEL. 



)tY ME. S. RAIIASAWMI lYAH OF CHINGLBPUT. 



{From Journal of the Agricultural Students' Association, 

 Saidapet, Madras.) 



I purpose to give you a detailed report on the cul- 

 tivation of Chavica Betle as practised in this part of 

 the District (Ohingleput). The subject is one of much 

 interest, and it is hoped that it will secure the atten- 

 tion it deserves. 



T'arieties. — there are two important varities, viz., 

 the white, and the black. The former is sub-diviiied 

 into " Karpuram " and "Goulipathrum," whereas 

 the latter, into "Kammaram" and "Kalizeru." 



Kdrpurinu. — Small, fine, and agreeable to the taste. 



Goulipatliru'in.— 'La.rge, thick, agreeable to the taste, 

 and ammatic. 



Kavtntiram. — Larre, thick, pungent, and aromatic. 



Kalizeni.—^maU, not very thick, and bitter to the 

 taste. 



Extent. — The white variety is cultivated largely in 

 this District to the extent of 1,842 acres, whereai the 

 latter occupies only 398 acres. 



Selection of land.—'Red loams and clayey soils are 

 bestfitced. Sandy soils are objectionable. As a rule, 

 the land selected should contain a fair amount of 

 organic matter. The crop requires a very copious 

 supply of water, and, therefore, it is desirable that 

 the land be freely irri8:able by gravitation. 



Preparatitn of land. — Land which has recently been 

 cropped with paddy is fallowed for three months. 

 In the beginning of June, straight furrows are made 

 by a plough 6 feet apart. Trenches are then dug in 

 the field ( 1 foot 3 inches deep by 2 feet broad ) 

 along the furrows. The soil removed from the tren- 

 ches is heaped in the interspaces, leaving a margin 

 of 9 inches on either side, to a height of I foot. The 

 length of these trenches depends upon the extent 

 of the field : the trenches referred to throughout my 

 report were 280 feet in length. 



Artatld Planting. — As a rule, the betle crop is planted 

 along with Agathi albiflora. The advantages of grow- 

 ing them together are as follows : — 1. — that the 

 gardener may have free and full control over each 

 plant. 2. — that the creeper may be trained on the 

 agathi plant. 3. — that the creeper may be protected 

 from high winds. The method of sowing the seeds of 

 the agathi is as follows : — Seeds are placed in water; 

 those that float are rejected, and those that sink are 

 taken for sowing. About 5-1 Madras measures of seed 

 are necessary for sowing au acre. Under favourable 

 circumstances and careful manatremeut a less quantity 

 may suflice. Four rows of agathi seeds are sown on 

 either side of the trenches, 4 inches apart between 

 the rows and 9 inches in the rows. By the end of 

 a week after sowing, the whole field is covered with 

 young agathi plants in regular drills. These plants 

 require no shade when they are young, but regular 

 watering is necessary. When the whole field is well 

 covered and the plants attain to a height of 7 feet 

 to 9 feet, preparations are made to plant betle creep- 

 ers. 



J-ences. — Fences are absolutely necessary for this crop. 

 There are two fences, t.#., the outer and the inner. 

 The outer is generally a live fence while the inner is 

 a dead fence. 



Planting plantain shoots. — Plantain shoots are planted 

 at the rate of 200 to an acre. The plautaiu re- 

 quires no cultivation besides what is usually done for 

 the betle crop. 



Selection of Betle creepers. — Creepers (with leaves) 

 specially selected, are the tops of healthy plants 

 whose leaves possess superior qualities. Each of 

 these tops, or creepers, must contain 9 nodes ; 150 

 bundles to an acre are required. 



When planted. — In the beginning of December, when 

 •uflicient shade is att'orded by the Agathi planti«, the 

 oreepeis are planted. 



How p^a'attd. — The creepers are arranged in sets of 

 two c! c'l. Two such sets are placed horizontally op- 

 posite to each other in the soil between every two 

 Agathi plant'? of the second row. Puddle taken from 



