130 Coco-nuts The Consols of the East 



any rate in the German colonies the danger of 

 fire during the dry season is very great in those 

 plantations where grass of this sort abounds. 

 Some people in preference to ploughing have 

 therefore planted the creeper Passiflora fcetida 

 under the coco-nut trees with fairly good 

 results, because this cover-crop keeps the 

 ground covered, is nitrogenous, and does not 

 burn, and so it is agreed that if not planted 

 throughout the estates it should at least be 

 employed where '' fire-lines " are established, 

 and where there are no cattle. Where cattle 

 are kept it will pay to cultivate food-grasses, 

 such as buffalo-grass {Moneruia repens), and 

 what is locally known as couch-grass. Vailima 

 grass is better still, whilst the best for cattle food 

 value is the Samoa trrass. The most advanta- 



^> 



geous for the well-being of the palms, however, 

 is the mimosa (pudua), which, as a leguminous 

 plant, is able to collect nitrogen from the air, 

 and is reputed to contain over 20 per cent, of 

 proteins against about 8 per cent, in common 

 meadow grass. The mimosa is a very nourish- 

 ing cattle food when once the kine have taken 

 to it. Again, directly this mimosa has gained 

 a firm hold it is impossible to eradicate it, and 

 it will kill out all other weeds. A drawback is 

 the fact that it is covered all over with spines ; 

 these will wound the natives going about the 

 plantations to pick up the nuts, &c., and even 

 the cattle as well. As the natives are very 

 prone to sores on the ankles and the lower part 



