516 Coco-nuts The Consols of the East 



which they are partial. In locust-infested soils, 

 the numbers of these pests, at all stages, even 

 when in flight, could be greatly reduced by 

 organized explosions to greet them with a feu 

 de joie whether in the soil as grubs or flying 

 over it. But there is no need to extend the 

 list. You whom I am addressing are far more 

 able than myself to think them out. I would, 

 however, say in conclusion that planters of 

 coco-nuts, fibres, Ceara rubber, and other crops 

 which can be grown to advantage, when scien- 

 tifically cultivated, in almost semi-arid districts, 

 will find the use of explosives a great aid, as 

 the following letter, written from Kalkudah, in 

 the Eastern Province of Ceylon, to the editor 

 of the T^imes of Ceylon (see their issue of 

 June 20, 1912), tends to prove: 



"I read with great interest the articles re 

 ' Farming with Dynamite ' in the Times of 

 Ceylon. I believe this method will gain popu- 

 larity in the Eastern Province, as there is a 

 slab of coral from the coast here to one-and-a- 

 half miles inland, or further, and this runs 

 from 2 to 9 ft. below the surface, in some places 

 measuring 18 to 24 in. in thickness. It is not 

 porous, but in some parts is soft and limy. 

 There is water immediately below this slab, 

 but the coco- nut roots cannot get to the water, 

 and the trees are therefore greatly affected by 

 the drought, and large sums of money have to 

 be expended in watering plants. One notices 

 patches of coco-nuts, old enough to give large 



