COCONUT PLANTER'S MANUAL. 1 59 



tinned application in large quantities without manuring would 'soon result 

 in exhaustion of the land at least as regards its fairly easily available plant 

 food. But the app ications recommended in Ceylon of 2 to 3 cwts. per acre 

 every second or third year after pruning are not likely to do harm in this 

 respect, especially as the additional plant food that would be liberated for 

 the tea bush by its use is more than replaced by the manuring that follows 

 the liming process. 



In temperate climates the usual application of lime is from ■_' to 4 tons 

 per acre every X or 10 years, but in Ceylon heavier applications than 

 3 to 4 owte. \ <:r acre are rarely necessary. 



Method of Application. 

 As a rule lime has usually been applied to buried prunings to hasten 

 their decomposition and destroy any fungus growth, but now broadcasting 

 over the stems of the pruned bushes to destroy lichen, and over the sur- 

 rounding soil, is becoming more goneral, as the lime is better distributed 

 through the soil for nitrification purposes. Experiments in other countries 

 have shown that where lime is also applied the effect of the latter is in- 

 creasod by 10 to 20 per cent. 



One drawback to the application of quicklime or slaked lime is its effect 

 on the coolies' hands and feet, especially when the weather is wet. A suit- 

 able hand machine for broadcasting lime would be of much service. The 

 effect of the lime on the skin can be minimised by rubbing with coconut- 

 oil after the day : s work. 



Finely ground coral or stale slaked lime has the advantage over quick- 

 lime in that it does not injure the hands, l-ufc its slower action on most soils 

 renders its use limited. It is also of no use for broadcasting over the stems 

 of bushes to destroy lichens and mosses, but on some very light soils poor 

 in humus it might be employed with advantage. 



Ceylon Limestone or Dolomites. 

 As mentioned before, these are mainly mixtures of carbonates of lime 

 and magnesia with varying quantities of quartz. As a rule they are not 

 generally regarded as suitable for manurial purposes, and in some cases they 

 have proved injurious rather than beneficial, this being probably due to the 

 magnesia present, as it has been found that many plants require a much 

 larger proportion of lime in the soil than magnesia. For cocoa, however, 

 which does well in the soils containing a good proportion of dolomitic lime- 

 stone, its application might be of service. 



From numerous analyses of Ceylon soils that have been under cultiva- 

 tion foi varying periods, it would appear that the available lime originally 

 present in the virgin soils has more or less disappeared, which is only to be 

 expected, as lime is the chief base removed intb« drainage water. 



