340 



The territory is situated outside the hurricane zone, has an agree- 

 able climate, and a plentiful rainfall (except in the dry belt of the Central 

 Division). Thus, the planter has every advantage which Nature can 

 bestow to render his enterprise successful. 



The soil is considered equal in richness to any in the world, and 

 our correspondent's experience leads him to express it as his opinion 

 that, in the course of a few years, when Australia has realised what a 

 valuable asset she possesses right at her very doors, Papua will have 

 become the most prolific and richest exporter of tropical products out- 

 side of Ceylon. Labour is plentiful and cheap, and land easily obtain- 

 able on the most liberal terms. 



A good deal has been written on the subject of coconut-planting 

 during the last few years, mostly by people in India, but comparatively 

 little has been said by those conversant with the conditions obtaining 

 in the South Sea Islands and British New Guinea to help intending 

 planters who may be thinking of taking up land in Papua. 



With regard to choice of land for cultivation, if no island is available, 

 and land is taken up on the mainland, it should be as flat as possible. 

 If a river or two run through the property, so much the better. They 

 will help to irrigate the land, and cocoanuts require a great deal of 

 water (running, not stagnant) : if they are any swamps they must be 

 thoroughly drained before any planting is attempted. 



After land has been taken up, the next step is to obtain labour to 

 cultivate it. " Boys" may be had from the local recruiting vessels at 

 from £1 15s. to £2 per head (for one-year boys). These figures refer 

 to New Guinea. In the Solomon Islands the rate is from £4 to £6 per 

 head for three-year boys. The food of these labourers consist of rice, 

 sweet potatoes, with meat twice a week. They also get a tobacco 

 allowance of, say, two sticks per week. Their only requirement in the 

 matter of clothing is one Lava-lava every three months, and one blanket 

 per boy per annum. 



There are many ways of clearing land, but the following method 

 has been found the best. After the forest has been cut down, lop off 

 all the branches of trees and then run a fire through. After this, stack 

 all unburnt timber around stumps and big logs, and fire once again. 

 Do this twice so as to leave as little dead timber as possible on the 

 plantation. The timber, if left to rot, will in time manure the ground 

 but this method entails the harbourage of an immense number of grubs 

 and beetles, and these insect, breeding rapidly, leave the old logs and 

 take up their residence in the young sweet coconuts, causing untold 

 damage. By firing the ground throughly, these insect pests are kept 

 within bounds. 



Nurseries. 



If there are no plantation near where seed nuts may be obtained, 

 great care must be taken in the selection of nuts for planting. It is 

 better to depend on the natives for them, and to go personally and buy 

 Ihem, inspecting the coconut-trees, and picking the nuts therefrom, 

 taking particular care that the tree is not too old or too tall, but a young, 

 vigorous, solid, and stout tree ; also seeing that the nuts it bears are 

 plentiful in number, and of a good shape. They should not be long 

 and narrow, but round, with little husk and plenty of milk. Open them 



