78 THE SCIENCE OF CATCHCROPS 



bility as a dietetic constituent had been established. 

 There are to-day plenty of Eubber Companies 

 which will only find financial salvation in replacing 

 unprofitable rubber by the more productive coco- 

 nut. 



According to one leading authority, the four 

 conditions which constitute the essentials of a 

 catchcrop are (a) that it should not injure the main 

 crop ; (b) it should yield a harvest as soon as 

 possible ; (c) its cultivation should not necessitate 

 any specially skilled labour ; (d) the preparation 

 of the resultant products should not involve the 

 acquisition of any costly machinery. We consider 

 that he might have added (e) that the crop should 

 be immediately and conveniently marketable and 

 prove sufficiently remunerative to compensate, in 

 a measure, for that trying financial period which 

 must elapse before the coconut palms reach the 

 profit-producing stage. 



When an estate has been cleared and the tree 

 stumps removed or burned, it is usual to start 

 growing some crop while the nursery is being pre- 

 pared. 



The most suitable catchcrops are generally 

 admitted to be cotton ; soya beans ; manioc 

 (tapioca or cassava) ; sugar ; sweet potatoes 

 (batata) ; chillies, ground nuts, or peanuts, maize, 

 pineapples, cotton, sizal and, if it is not straining 

 the term, cattle and pigs. 



