468 Coco-nuts The Consols of the East 



manures. Bonedust and dried blood have 

 given very satisfactory results in other places. 

 I would not recommend them here. I tried 

 them in my vegetable garden, with the result 

 that all the crabs and ants from the neighbour- 

 hood congregated there for a feast, and I got 

 very few vegetables. The ants walked off 

 with the bonedust, and I do not believe that I 

 benefited by it at all. 



As regards green manuring, I am in favour 

 of it for any other kind of crop ; but I have 

 not tried it on coco-nuts. It presupposes to a 

 certain extent the possibility of being ploughed 

 in, or otherwise covered with soil, and this could 

 not be done on the estate I managed. Cow- 

 peas will probably answer best in Fiji ; they 

 grow up straight, may if so wanted be cut 

 for cattle food, and the peas are liked by the 

 Indian labourer and fowls. Beans such as 

 Mauritius, &c. are likely to injure the young 

 plants by climbing up their stems and lashing 

 the tender leaves together. There is another 

 leguminous plant growing profusely amongst 

 the coco-nuts in most parts of Fiji its local 

 name is ka-moce (Casia optucifolia) . It most 

 likely does benefit the trees to some extent, but 

 as a fodder plant it is useless and only takes up 

 the room of much better grasses or plants. I 

 have heard the statement made that if ka-moce 

 is pulled up and allowed to dry on the ground 

 for two or three days the cattle will eat it. It 

 is very difficult and expensive to get rid of. 



