152 



THE COCO-NUT 



CHAP. 



analysis, it has also been made as clear as possible in 

 these pages, that the utility of fertilizers depends 

 upon various factors which influence the physiological 

 behaviour of the trees, and upon soil conditions which 

 are not revealed by chemical analysis. The mineral 

 food of the soil is taken up by the plants in solution. 

 What they do not take up is at the best without value 

 to the trees, no matter how rich analysis may show the 

 soil to be. The conditions which cause active transpira- 

 tion will increase the mineral food at the disposal of the 

 plant, and will produce the same results as would the 

 application of fertilizers to the soil at the expense of 

 the planter. The same results can be achieved again 

 by such cultural methods as result in an ample develop- 

 ment of a root system free from competition with the 

 roots of other plants. 



It is a foolish practice, indeed, to apply money to 

 the purchase and application of fertilizers, and then 

 allow these to be absorbed by weeds, or to be lost 

 because the root system of the coco-nut is not what it 

 should be, or to prevent the most complete possible 

 absorption of them by planting the coco-nuts so close 

 together that a proper rate and amount of transpiration 

 is impossible. Under proper conditions, the artificial 

 application of fertilizers will certainly be profitable. 

 But before recourse is had to this expensive method 

 of increasing the yield, intelligent care should be taken 

 that none of the cheaper methods of accomplishing the 

 same result have been overlooked, and that the cultural 

 treatment is such as will insure the most complete 

 possible utilization of the fertilizers applied. 



Turning to the soil conditions, it has been emphasized 

 over and over that the typical habitat of the coco-nut 

 is one in which it draws its food not merely from the 

 soil about its roots, but also from a moving body of 

 water continually coming to this soil from land located 

 above it. Soils which, if judged by chemical analysis, 

 would have to be regarded as hopelessly poor, are often 

 seen to produce coco-nuts with all the luxuriance which 



