April i, 1885.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



791 



The climatic conditions of the Para tree are, however, 

 different. I saw it growing most frequently in 

 ewanipy districts bordering on the river Amazon 

 which were daily covered by the tide to the depth 

 of a foot or more. The Castitloa, which is one of the 

 largest trees in tropical America, is adapted to the 

 hot low-lyiug forest region bordering the coast of 

 Ceylon. It will likewise thrive well in deep moist 

 ravines and gullies, if not above 1,000 feet elevation. 

 This tree together with the "red bean" — a very 

 prolific variety of cocoa — are found to flourish best 

 in the very hottest regions of the west coast of 

 South America. — I am, sir, your obedient servant, 



ROBERT CROSS. 



ARECA CATECHU CULTIVATION IN CEYLON : 



ME. BORRON'S EXPERIENCE. 



Dear Sir, — As desired I have now great pleasure 

 in giving you some information anent areca catechu 

 cultivation : — ■ 



1. This tree is known to the Tamil as "pakku,"and 

 to the Sinhalese as "puwak." It is most extensively 

 cultivated throughout the East, the nut being in 

 general individual consumption as a masticatory, in 

 conjunction with betel-leaf, lime and tobacco. 



2. "It is considered to strengthen the gums, 

 sweeten the breath and improve the tone of the 

 digestive organs. The seed reduced to charcoal and 

 powdered forms an excellent dentifrice. Dr. Shortt 

 states that the powdered nut in doses of ten or fifteen 

 grains every three or four hours is useful in check- 

 ing diarrhoea arising from debility. The dry ex- 

 panded petioles serve as excellent ready-made splints 

 for fractures. The catechu yielded is of inferior 

 quality, and has been used to supersede madder for 

 dyeing a golden coffee-brown, lib. being equal to 61b. 

 of madder. The petioles can be written upon, and 

 in India are used for making hats, umbrellas, fans, 

 water-vessels, &c. " The nuts ringed and strung with 

 ivory on an iron rod make a very pretty but heavy 

 walking-stick. I think there is no doubt that one 

 object for chewing the nut is to allay the pang3 of 

 an empty stomach. It is a good vermifuge and used 

 as such both in India and in England. 



3. The most desirable elevation for cultivation 

 should not exceed 2,500 feet above sea-level, but I 

 have seen trees in bearing, though how old I know 

 not, at about 3.500 feet. 



4. The rainfall should not be low, and it ought to 

 be as well distributed as possible. Last year's ex- 

 ceptional drought affected mature areca palms in the 

 Matale district at an elevation of over 1,600 feet. 



5. The lay of the land should be moderate. The 

 formation of the leaves and stem collects the rain 

 and washes away the soil from b low the tree in 

 steep land. 



6. 'I he s il should not be quartzy, and the better 

 the soil the better the growth and crop. 



7. Like all palms, the areca stands the wind well. 

 S. The presence of slab rock near the surface is 



very inimical, particularly in a dry climate. If it 

 only gets the chance the areca is a deep feeder. 



9. It is preferable to phut fr in a nursery with 

 plaijt-i at least six months old than to venture to 

 plant at stake, though I have seen this latter done 

 with tolerable success. 



10. The clearing ought to ho kept carefully and 

 systematically clean of all jungle stuff and flowering 

 weeds, and a circle round each plaut kept free from 

 grass. So long as the heads are kept abo>e cover, 

 the plants can stand a good deal of neglect, but 

 their growth and bearing will be seriously retarded. 



11. Lhe trees in my plantation of some forty acres 

 are planted 10 by 10 in feet, and I would be sorry 

 to risk any nearer distance. When uativco plant 



closer it is usually only in a single or double line, 

 and not over a broad space. The close native system 

 of planting the coconut is generally understood to 

 be a mistake, and certainly when I have tried it 

 with the areca, even in single lines, I have 

 found it so. It is quite possible that something closer 

 than 10 by 10 might answer, but I will leave others 

 to try. It is very long to have to wait seven or 

 eight years to find out a mistake which can never 

 afterwards be properly rectified. The close planting 

 and subsequent cutting out is admirable as a theory, 

 but who has the moral courage to ever carry it out 

 properly, and it is wonderful how trees try to adapt 

 themselves, as far as growth goes, to circumstances. 



12. Few roads and drains are required in this 

 cultivation. 



13. The areca is a great surface-feeder, and so is 

 injurious to other surface-feeding products, such as 

 coffee, near it. 



14. According to my experience, even with good 

 soil, climate and cultivation, the areca does not come 

 into bearing before its sixth year. Like cacao hero 

 and there a few precocious trees may blossom earlier, 

 but on the other hand others may take very muoh 

 longer. 



15. The early blossoms frequently fail to mature 

 their fruit. 



16. Spring is the best cropping season upcountry, 

 say January as the month for choice, but crop ex- 

 tends pretty well more or less throughout the year. 



17. If a mature tree fails to give at least three 

 hundred nuts per annum, then there is something 

 wrong with the tree, the locality, or the cultivation. 



18. The crop can be picked for local sale either 

 three-quarters or fully ripe: the former gives the " kali 

 pakku " preferred by coolies, the latter the " kotta 

 puwak " preferred by the Sinhalese. 



19. As my plantation is situated near a largo 

 town, I have never found the slightest difficulty in 

 disposing of my produce gathered and delivered on 

 the spot. 



20. The price obtained has varied according to 

 maturity, time of the year, and fresh or dried, from 

 37A cents to 90 cents per thousand cash on delivery at 

 estate store. Probably, with good management, the 

 average might be taken at 00 cents per 1,000. 



21. In Ceylon there are two kinds : the small- 

 fruited upcountry areca preferred by coolies, and 

 the large-fruited lowcountry kind preferreet by tho 

 Sinhalese and, I suppose, also for exportation. 



22. Your Colombo friends will beat be able to quote 

 prices of the prepared article for export, and its value 

 in the London and Indian markets. 



23. The only disease I have noticed is a canker 

 that sometimes attacks the stem from the ground 

 upwards in a long triangular form, but, except when 

 it enables white-ants to gain admission, I have 

 never seen much permanent harm done. 



24. The great abiding and seiious pest is the thief. 

 The produce is of such univer.-al use, so easily stolen, 

 so difficult to protect, that, when grown on any large 

 scale, the losses, even with much careful and expensive 

 watching, are enormous, ami no doubt this draw- 

 back checks extension. 



25. Thecostof planting and bringing an areca 

 plantation into bearing, inclusive of cost of laud and 

 interest, should come to something like R2IX) per 

 acre. It might be done for somewhat less, and, 

 with indifferent management, it may tike as much 

 more as the greatest capitalist may be induced to give. 



I trust you will now excuse my entering into any 

 further detail. There are secrets in all trades, as I 

 found when once applying to a Colombo merchant I 

 was refused permission to visit his mills. Aa to 

 Mr. Gladstone, so to the public, tl ere are always three 

 courses open : — 1st, to be content with general facts 



