Cattle, Catch-crops and Cover-plants 331 



is, at times, a ticklish job. The best remedy 

 after all is the cultivation of leguminous plants 

 which will not only spread rapidly and prevent 

 the lalang from coming up again, but will 

 provide fodder for the domestic animals on the 

 place, and return nitrogen to the soil. 



The Mimosa family of plants, which are 

 indigenous to most localities where coco-nuts 

 grow, are among the most useful of these 

 " cover-plants," especially on estates with 

 cattle. The only drawback to them is the 

 spiky nature of their leaves and stalks, which 

 are apt to injure the feet of the natives and 

 cattle, especially when the former are walking 

 about among the stuff in search of the ripe 

 nuts which have fallen to the ground, or doing 

 other work about the estate. 



The Philippine Agricultural Review for 

 January, 1913, contains the report of the 

 Director of Agriculture out there, in which 

 various grasses and forage plants that had 

 been planted experimentally are described, 

 and their good and bad points discussed. 



In this same journal we are told that the 

 Army Board appointed to investigate and 

 report upon the question of forage for the use 

 of the Army, were also directed to consider 

 the question of using, wholly or in part, native 

 beef for the use of the Army in the Philippines. 

 Those, therefore, planting up coco-nuts in those 

 islands should secure a copy of this Review and 

 study the contents. 



