Planting in Fiji 465 



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During more than half the year at any rate it 

 is certainly unnecessary ; but we do now and 

 again experience spells of dry weather you 

 can hardly call them " droughts "-which keep 

 back the growth of everything. Watering on 

 such occasions would no doubt be of great 

 benefit, and probably cause the trees to start 

 bearing much earlier. I would recommend that 

 wherever possible salt (or sea) water should be 

 used in preference to fresh water. The former 

 is generally considered better for the trees and 

 will help to keep down some of the weeds 

 growing round the foot of the stem. In the 

 West Indies the general opinion is that salt 

 does not act as a manure, but when absorbed, 

 it makes the stem of the palm stronger and 

 more supple, so that it will withstand the force 

 of the strong hurricanes experienced in that 

 part of the world. If such is really the case, 

 it would be of advantage to planters in Fiji to 

 make experiments with salt or sea water it 

 would not cost much. 



In former years, when the price of copra 

 was only some 6 or ,8 per ton, the expense 

 of watering or manuring (even to a limited 

 extent) was probably prohibitive, but at present, 

 with the price well over 20 per ton, con- 

 siderably more money might well be spent in 

 getting the trees into earlier bearing and make 

 them produce more and better nuts than was 

 the case some years ago. It would pay well 

 in the end to do so. 



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