174 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



nitrogen, 200 tons potash and 28 tons P. acid. 

 Thus it would take over 150 years to exhaust 

 the nitrogen, over 740 years to exhaust the 

 potash and about 340 to exhaust the P. acid. 

 It may naturally be surmised that the chem- 

 ically richer soils inland would conduce to 

 greater productivity of nuts. The conditions 

 inland are, however, generally less favourable 

 to great transpiration, the chief agent — the 

 wind — being much less in evidence. Experi- 

 ments made with 1,000 nuts obtained from 

 palms growing along sea shore and 1,000 nuts 

 from palms grown inland seemed to prove tl^at 

 the yield of oil per nut is almost exactly the 

 same. The husks from the sea shore nut were 

 much larger than from the inland nuts. The 

 superiority of the sea shore nuts was shown to be 

 in the quantity, not in the quality of the nuts 

 produced. It is claimed that underground water 

 movement has much to do with the matter. This 

 movement is caused by the pressure of the water 

 particles inland during the rising of the tide, and 

 by the movement of the water particles outward 

 at the falling of the tide, which brings about 

 the constant refreshment of the feeding ground 

 of the coconut palm roots. Salt water itself has 

 been found to exe'c little effect on the palm. A 

 negligible quantity only of chlorine has been 

 found at the Fase of trees actually growing in the 

 sand. It is recorded that it requires but six 

 years for the palm to reach maturity on planta- 

 tions in proximity to the sea, as against nine 

 years on plantations inland. 



In conclusion, it may be pointed out that the 

 coconut palm will grow in all manner of curious 

 places. A.t Zanzibar the soil in which the palms 

 are found is of coral origin. In the Zambesi Es- 

 tuary much black mica is found ; yet the palms 

 show, it is said, extraordinary development, and 

 in the Seychelles the sea hills upon which the 

 palms nourish are of volcanic origin. At Trini- 

 dad the finest plantations are found on the 

 banks of marine marshes. Enough has been said 

 to show the important fact that some of our land 

 and plantation companies will be able to plant 

 ooconuts where awhile ago it would not have been 

 thought possible to do so. — F. Times, June 18. 



IRRIGATION IN COCONUT PLANTING- 



A new departure so far as this District is con- 

 cerned has been made by Mr. Cotton on the 

 Easter Seaton estate. He has installed a pump 

 for irrigation and intends to irrigate his coco- 

 nuts. The channels will be made of clay. We 

 shall be interested to watch the results of this 

 experiment,— " The fcatflp," July fj, 



CULTIVATION OF THE PAPAYA. 



The Philippines Bureau of Agriculture has 

 issued the following directions for growing papa- 

 ya, which should prove of interest and be useful 

 to growers of this delicious fruit : — 



Seed Bed.— The seed bed should be prepared 

 by thoroughly pulverising the soil by spading 

 or hoeing the ground well, and the clearing 

 away of all weeds and trash. Sow the seed 

 thinly, about 1 to 2 centimeters apart, and cover 

 the seed not more than 1 centimeter with soil, 

 then water the bed thoroughly. In the dry 

 season it is well to make the seed bed where it 

 is shaded from the hot midday rays of the sun 

 under a tree ; or it may be shaded by the erec- 

 tion of a small bamboo frame, on the top of 

 which are placed grass or palm leaves. If the 

 seed is planted during the rainy season, a shed 

 of palm leaves should always be put up over the 

 seed bed to protect the seed from being washed 

 out and the plants from being beaten down by 

 the heavy rains. 



Transplanting. — When the plants have 

 attained a height of about 7 to 10 centimeters, 

 they are ready to be transplanted to the place 

 where they are intended to grow. 



Unless the transplanting has been preceded by 

 a good rain, the plantsi should be thoroughly 

 watered before they are removed from the seed 

 bed. In order to red uce the evaporation of water 

 from the plants until they are well established in 

 their new quarters, about three-fourth of the 

 leaf-blades should be trimmed off. 



In transplanting, take up the plants with so 

 large a ball of earth that as few roots are cut or 

 disturbed as possible. Do not set out the young 

 plant deeper in the new place than it grew in 

 the nursery ; firm the soil well around the roots, 

 making a slight depression around the plant, 

 and water it thoroughly. 



In order to protect the tender plant from the 

 sun until it is established, it is well to place 

 around it a few leafy twigs at the time of plant- 

 ing. It is well to set out three plants to each 

 hill, and, as the plants grow up and fruit, to 

 ' dig out the males or the two poorest fruiting 

 plants. 



If the plants oannot be set out in the held at 

 the time indicated, transplant them from the 

 seed bed to a nursery, setting out the plants 

 about 20 to 30 centimeters apart in rows a 

 meter apart, or more, to suit the convenience 

 of the planter. While the best plan is to set 



out the plants la the field before they ace 



