COCONlJT PLANTER'S MANUAL. Hi) 



Planting Out. — The young plant is able to live on the kernel and 

 water within the nut foi about 12 months from time of germination. 

 Therefore it is not necessary to wait for the rainy season to plant. 

 Plants on germination, or a month or two after, but before roots are 

 produced, coma be taken up and planted out a month or so before the 

 rams without fear of loss. If the soil in the hole is dry at the time of 

 planting it should be moistened with a potful of water atter the plant 

 is set in the soil and covered with a layer of dry earth to arrest eva- 

 poration. 



The field should be drained before the rainy season to enable the 

 surplus water to escape, if not a large percentage of plants will be 

 killed by stagnant water. 



Catch Crops. — If the coconuts are to come into bearing as fast as 

 possible and hue healthy trees are to be established it is better that no 

 catch-crops should be grown. But, on the other hand, if it is essential 

 that some income should be obtained from the land to help to carry on 

 the planting, one crop of cassava or other short-lived product, readily 

 saleable at a profit, may be grown in the first year only. Before doing 

 so it should be determined whether the labour conditions would permit 

 of such a crop being grown without interfering with the work of the 

 estate. Also if the profits of the catch crop would compensate for the loss 

 of plant-food from the soil. If no catch crops are to be grown, Crota- 

 laria or other leguminous plant suitable to the district should be sown 

 just after firing. This crop will not only feed on the available plant- 

 food and reserve it for the use of the permanent crop, but will check 

 the growth of weeds. The green crop should be cut from time to time 

 and used for mulching round the plants. About 6 feet round the plants 

 should be cultivated twice a year immediately after every rainy season, 

 till the end of the 3rd year. Then if the trees are sufficiently grown, 

 the whole land would be cultivated and all stumps uprooted. This cul- 

 tivation should be repeated once a year till a plough could be put on 

 the land. 



After Treatment. — To make coconut estates pay it is necessary to 

 manure them. If cattle manure is not available for the purpose a full 

 mixture to supply the following ingredients: — Nitiogen, phosphoric 

 acid and potash— should be applied. My experience is that organic 

 manures are preferable to chemical or inorganic manures. The follow- 

 ing is an all-iound suitable mixture: — 



4 lbs. ground nut cake or castor cake 



4 lbs. fish manure. 



6 lbs. bone meal. 



2 lbs. sulphate of potash. 



lb' lbs. to s tree to be applied once in two years. 



