MANURES AND MANURING. 211 



are what we have to combine to form a perfect 



manure." 



All patent commercial specialities with high- 

 sounding names are but more or less practical 

 realizations of this. Their great advantage is their 

 compactness, allowing the planter to order exactly 

 what his land wants. When the "artificial" is 

 on the estate it can be mixed with jungle soil 

 and applied according to needs. 



Of the manner of this application we have 

 already said something. It may either be in holes 

 directly under the trees, or in holes equal distance 

 between every four. Ourselves we prefer the former 

 plan, though by the latter the roots are less likely 

 to be disturbed or injured. 



Then there is the question of the best period 

 for putting down manure. Usually it is done 

 before crop time to bring on the fruit, but manure 

 for the blossoming season as well as for crop is 

 really as much required. Flowering is an ex- 

 haustive process, requiring a large amount of 

 nourishment, and the sugar planter is so well 

 aware of this that he cuts his canes before they 

 blossom, lest the process should exhaust the juice 

 and therefore rob him of his labour and profits. 

 Towards the end of the rains is probably as good 

 a time as any for forking or holing in heavy 

 stuff. 



To sum up. The planters of Ceylon have been 

 thus catechised on the subject, and it should be 



