90 COCONUT CULTIVATION 



in fact, it is quite undesirable, Apart from the 

 possibility, at present prices, of its yielding a 

 very small profit, if any, it is so difficult to 

 weed that a large amount of lalang gets in, and 

 the land is in a decidedly dirty condition when 

 the crop is removed. Camphor allows the land 

 to be kept clean, but the time to wait for a crop 

 is too long, and then the profit is not much. 

 Coffee robusta offers "by far the best catch-crop. 

 A small return will come in the second year, and 

 a good one in the third and following years. 



" Therefore, for those who must put down a 

 catch-crop it is undoubtedly the best. The pro- 

 duction of robusta costs less per picul than 

 liberica. The total cost of production should 

 not exceed $12 = 1 8s. a picul, which returns 

 a net profit of $6 = 14s. a picul on an average 

 selling price of $18 = 2 2s. a picul. Planted 

 as a catch -crop in the way already recommended, 

 i.e. about 1000 to the acre, a return of 10 piculs 

 per acre of market coffee ought to be obtained 

 by the end of the fifth year. This would yield 

 a net profit of $60 = 7 per acre, or over double 

 that at 1913 prices. 



" These figures are conservative, judging by the 

 example already given from Java. In the F.M.S. 

 we have not sufficient data on which to base 

 close estimates ; but it is evident that, if the 

 entire capital cost of the principal crop cannot 

 be recovered, at least from the end of the second 

 year, it can be more than upkept from the profits 

 on robusta. 



