CEYLON COCOA ESTATE 69 



them. It is very pretty to see their agile way of 

 springing up the branches, and deftly tapping the 

 tree to see if it has been attacked ; if it has, 

 they cut out the offending insect with a sharp 

 scimitar shaped blade, placing it in a piece of 

 hollow bamboo which they carry with them 

 suspended by a string. The trees are all 

 planted in lines, each man takes two lines, and 

 not only eradicates the poochees, but cuts off all 

 the dead branches, stacks and burns dead 

 cocoa trees, and lops off the unecessary cocoa 

 suckers. In these days of disease, if there 

 should happen to be suckers at the bottom, one 

 is usually left, in order to give the tree a 

 chance of growing up from the root. 



Weeding coolies also go round the Estate, 

 field by field, in the same systematic order. 

 Their duty is to weed, stack dead timber, 

 clean and clear the drains, and sweep the paths 

 and roads. When there is no crop to be 

 picked, the women are much employed for 

 weeding. If the coolies, and especially the 

 watchmen, find any ripe fruit, they are sup- 

 posed to bring it to the bungalow, though 

 most superintendents are quite willing they 

 should have the surplus. It not only pleases 

 them, but keeps them in health, for it has been 

 found that their rice diet requires a vegetable 

 corrective, and where coolies have been for- 

 bidden fruit and deprived of kitchen gardens, 



