November i, 1884] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



375 



The fall of the leaf in the case of deciduous trees has 

 beeu already alluded to. It is ouly requisite here to say 

 that, under 'the circumstances, it is a natural process ; and 

 it is one that is provided for from the beginning. From 

 a ve.y early stage in the development of the leaf, a special 

 layer o£ cells has been gradually forming at the base of 

 the leaf-stalk at right angles to the others, which ultim- 

 ately cuts off the drying and dead leaf-cells from the living 

 tissues of the bark, much as the " drop scene" of a theatre 

 separates the body of the house from the stage at the 

 close of the performance. The leaf is emptied of its con- 

 tents, and further supplies from below are eventually stopped 

 off by the intervention of the layer of cells above de- 

 scribed. A similar process takes place in the disarticulation 

 of branches and of ripe fruits. 



When disease or injury affects the leaves while still 

 growing — as in the case of noxious vapours from chemical 

 works or kilns, or in the case of iusect injury — its effects 

 are naturally most obvious and most severe at the growing 

 points — the tips and margins of the leaf; and when the 

 margins become thus arrested in their growth, while the 

 disc remains in full activity, the result is a cup-shaped 

 appearance or a crumpled surface resulting from the dead 

 or dying portions having lost their elasticity and acting as 

 a curb on the still growing portions. Sun-burns, and es- 

 pecially the attacks of insects and parasitic fungi, are not 

 so much confined to the margins, at least when the leaf is 

 not in a growing state; they produce their effects in the 

 shape of circular or irregular spots of brown decayed proto- 

 plasm. The effects of frost, and the reason it kills, have 

 been explained elsewhere. Nothing, however, can be ad- 

 vauced in explanation of the reasons why some plants of 

 the same species, like the different varieties of Wheat, 

 are so much more tender than others. Death by the leaf 

 is rarely immediately fatal, because there are many leaves, 

 and they are not often all affected in the same way at 

 the same time ; and, moreover, in the case of plants other 

 than " annuals," the fall and death of the leaves does not 

 iuvolve the death of the plant as before explained. Even 

 in the case of annuals, the life, like the nutritive matter, 

 goes out of the leaves only to enter the seed. 



Successor thus follows predecessor in one invariable 

 rhythm, and although the limits of the individual existence 

 can be but too readily recognised, the real end of life, so 

 far as the whole race of living creatures —whether plant 

 or animal — is concerned, is as incapable of being appreci- 

 ated by the physiologist as is its beginning. — From Dr. 

 MASTERS' " Plant Life." — Gardeners' Chronicle. 



COCONUT CULTIVATION IN CEYLON. 



The July number of the Tropical Agriculturist opens 

 with a very interesting and highly instructive paper on 

 Coconut Cultivation by a veteran planter, "W.B.L." The 

 paper is perhaps not as full with details, modes of cult- 

 ure, &c, as another paper on the same subject which bears 

 evident traces of the same pen. and written nearly a decade 

 back. To those engaged in cocouut cultivation, I would 

 advise the careful perusal of both papers, as likely to afford 

 many useful hints. I cannot more than give a slight sketch 

 of the last essay. The best soil for coconuts is said to be 

 alluvial loams, subject to periodical inundation. The next, 

 brown loams, after which come sandy loams. Solid cabook 

 and stiff clays are to be avoided. The nearer the land 

 approaches the level, the better is it for cocouut cultivation. 

 Nurseries must be made eight mouths before the plants 

 are wanted, with 50 per cent more nuts than the number 

 of plants necessary. Those that do not germinate within 

 5 months are to be rejected as likely to be laggards all 

 their life. The careful selection of seed-nuts is of the first 

 importance. The trees from which the nuts are taken 

 should be mature, healthy and in heavy bearing. The nuts 

 must be thin-skinned and ripe without being dry. Con- 

 sidering the length of life of a cocouut tree, it is really 

 a pity that no attention whatever is paid to the selection 

 of the seed-nuts. Any and every nut one comes across is 

 put in the nursery, or plants are bought from anywhere. 

 The beds, we are told, are to be 4 feet wide, and made by 

 digging the grounds 6 inches deep and placing the nuts 

 with the stalk end upwards. After experience, I have a 

 decided objection to placing the stalk eud upward, and 

 for this reason, that there is a depression at the stalk, 



which is directly over the "eyes" of the nut, or the seat 

 of the germ. At the depression, the husk is not, as elsewhere 

 to a eertain extent, impervious to moisture. All the moist-, 

 ure taken in at the depression works its way downwards, 

 and by the action of the sun causes a certain amount of 

 fermentation that destroys the germ. If the nuts are 

 placed sideways, these objections are overcome, and the 

 germ is kept constantly moist by the water within the 

 nut — which is not the case in the other position— and 

 offers greater inducement to speedy and successful growth. 

 It strikes me that the information now given to fill up 

 only the spaces between the nuts with soil does not quite 

 accord with what was written by the same writer a few 

 months hack, when theorizing ou the depth the seel of 

 the different palms ought to be put in the ground to 

 ensure successful growth. In that communication, which 

 was one of a series of monthly reports of a new products 

 estate, it was said that coconuts must be planted with 

 six inches of soil above it. It happened that I had just 

 about that time formed a coconut nursery in the usual 

 style, that is with the top of the nuts peeping out. I 

 was asked why I did not follow the new plan by one 

 interested in the nursery, and as his wishes seemed to lie 

 in the newly-suggested direction, I took no steps to remove 

 from the nuts all the earth that had been washed over 

 them — for, remember, my nursery was below a slope. What 

 was the result? About 90 per cent of the nuts rotted and 

 refused to grow; so much for theories, and for leaving the 

 well-beaten track of experience to follow the attractive 

 paths of theory.* 



To return to the essay. The lining must be in squares 

 25 ft. each way. The holes must be cut with the first 

 rains in March, and must be 3 ft. cube and be half-filled 

 with the top soil and ashes. If this were always followed, 

 we should certainly have strong, healthy plantations, giving' 

 good crops without extraneous aid. Instead, we find the 

 geueral practice is to cut, or which is thought to amount 

 to the same thing, to give orders to cut holes IS inches 

 every way, into which the plants are put with no attempt 

 to give them a start by putting a little of the rich surface 

 soil and ashes round the nuts. And this is the universal 

 practice amongst those who should kuow better. Feucin™ 

 your clearing to keep out cattle is said to be the next 

 step, and a live fence is recommended of either erandu 

 or kajit. A paragraph is devoted to the discussion of 

 secondary crops on cocouut clearings, and much speculation 

 is indulged in. The writer has no objection to any secondary 

 crop which covers the cost of labour, pays for fertilizers 

 in the place of what it removes, and leaves the owner 

 something besides. I venture to believe he is not singular 

 in this, as this object is the sum total of the aspiration 

 of every reasonable cultivator. The usual secondary crops 

 of the goiya system do not, it is said, meet these con- 

 ditions, and kurakhan, it is said — on what authority we 

 are not told — consumes a vast quantity of phosphates and 

 nitrates! I quite endorse the writer's suggestion that it 

 would be better to grow chillies in the place of kurakhan 

 manioc and sweet potatoes; for chillies do not meet a local' 

 but a general, want. Whether a chillie crop is more profit- 

 able, I am not quite sure, for it must be borne in mind 

 that chillie cultivation is garden cultivation, which for its 

 success requires that the soil be constantly hoed and kept 

 free from weeds. This means the expenditure of a vast 

 amount of labour and energy constantly, of which the 

 average Sinhalese is incapable of or averse to, unless 

 stimulated by the prospect of a daily wage, when it will 

 be found not to pay. Every one will be inclined to agree 

 with the writer of the essay that if a proprietor has the 

 capital ( [ am inclined to add to capital, Will and Energy, 

 for we see capital by itself never used aright), he can put 

 his land to more profitable use than to give it to goiyas. 

 Croton and arnatto are suggested. The former yields a 



* Will not placing coconuts on their sides in the nursery 

 be a departure from the well-beaten track of experience!' 

 Yet it would be wise to try it on a small scale. The failure 

 of 90 per cent would be conclusive against the experiment 

 assuming that the nuts wire well ripe, and that silt washed 

 dowu a slope is as useful as fresh soil. Again, may nut 

 the position of the nursery have given it too much moisture r" 

 We wish coconut planters more often published their ex- 

 periences for the common good. — Ed. "Ex." 



