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FIELD CULTURE 147 



no important results can be expected from them ; and 

 that at the best the cattle only return to the soil what 

 they take from it, somewhat improved in availability 

 but decreased rather than increased in amount. 



From the standpoint of the coco-nut, the use of the 

 land as pasture is, on the whole, rather an advantage. 

 Such use takes practically nothing from the coco-nuts, 

 and saves expense in the care of the grove. The question, 

 then, which the planter has to decide is, whether or not 

 he is sure of a satisfactory profit from the cattle. In 

 using coco-nut groves for pastures he has land which 

 practically costs less than nothing for this purpose, and 

 which for other reasons should be kept in good condition 

 for pasture. With free land already in good pasture 

 grass, it might seem most extraordinary if it were not 

 possible to raise cattle at a good profit. Nevertheless, 

 there certainly are places in the tropics where the 

 growing of cattle in large numbers, even with these 

 advantages, would be a doubtful undertaking. Whether 

 or not the individual coco-nut planter lives in such 

 a place is a question which he must settle for himself. 



We have so far spoken only of cattle in connection 

 with the use of the grove for pasture. There is nowhere 

 in the tropics any great industry in horses, nor are there 

 any data by which one might decide that a coco-nut 

 grove might possibly be used for horse pasture. It will 

 generally happen, however, because of the differences in 

 the feeding habits of the beasts, that horse pasture has 

 more need than cattle pasture of exposure to the light, 

 and that therefore the coco-nut grove is more likely to 

 be well used for cattle. There are also in the tropics 

 extensive industries in pigs and in goats. The goat 

 business is one which does not thrive on a large scale, 

 there being no extensive commerce in goats or any of 

 their products. This is not the case, of course, for the 

 products of hogs, and there is no apparent reason why 

 the tropics should not develop a business in pork, lard, 

 etc., the importance of which will be in some proportion 

 to the ease with which the feed of the hogs can be 



