COCONUT PLANTER'S MANUAL. 85 



of ago to begin their destruction, may bo exceptional, but in a field of 

 7i acres, no less than 150 plants were destroyed within a few weeks. 

 Tlie held was under cinnamon at the time. 



Protection against Cattle. — It will not be out of place to, urgo 

 the necessity for taking steps to protect plants, during the first five 

 years of their existence, from the attacks of cattle. They do a tre- 

 mendous amount of damage — the growth of plants eaten down by them 

 is seriously retarded; and such plants will seldom thrive and deve- 

 lop into good trees. Badly attacked plants should be rooted up and 

 replaced if possible by plants of the same age as those in the field. 

 The advantages of cattle on a plantation are great, but it is nob 

 advisable to bung them on to the land until after the plants are free 

 from the dangei of being attacked. No pains should be spared to pro- 

 tect plants during the first 5 years against the bandicoot, the porcupine 

 and cattle, foi it is of paramount necessity that plants should start to 

 grow under the most favourable conditions. 



Weeding and Green Manuring . — The plants themselves need prac- 

 tically only tht clean-weeding of a circle of say 5 feet in diameter. 

 The application of wood ashes proves beneficial as well as a mulch 

 of green manure. Between the rows of plants I would only cut down 

 the brushwood; and in order not to expose the ground to the full force 

 of the sun, the growth of some leguminous plants offers a double ad- 

 vantage in enriching the soil as well. A great object should bo to main- 

 tain the richness of the soil, remembering that the roots of the palms 

 are wide-spreaunig and surface feeding; and when the trees grow up 

 they will require all there is to be had. The future welfare of the 

 tree will be greatly helped by conserving the richness of the soil. Green 

 manures can always be grown with advantage. There are soils which 

 will not be impoverished, to the detriment of the palm in later years, 

 by the growth of catch crops, but care should be taken to choose such as 

 are not too exhausting. 



The systematic application of manures will not be necessary be- 

 fore the palm reaches the bearing stage, nor even in the first few years 

 of bearing. The advantages of applying some manuro to stimulate those 

 plants that are backward are obvious. They need a helping hand and 

 timely help should secure uniformity in the plantation. I shall not 

 touch further on the all-important subject of manuring and on the 

 great benefits to both trees and crop from the application of suitable 

 manures. It is a largo subject and I prefer to leave it to some other 

 member to dea! with it. 



Trenching— A regular system of trenching begun early would 

 greatly benefit the trees. On steep land, countour trenching before plant- 

 ing would conserve soil moisture. In the earlier years, it would be suffj- 



