August, 1908.] 



129 



Edible Products. 



By this method, ripe seeds, after being 

 well washed, were gently rubbed with a 

 rough towel in order to remove the pulp, 

 care being taken not to damage the skin. 

 The beans are next placed in a current of 

 cool air for twenty-four hours. The 

 material with which the seeds are pack- 

 ed consists of a mixture of equal parts 

 of vegetable mould and finely ground 

 charcoal, moistened to resemble earth 

 taken from a shady place. A layer of this 

 mixture, £ inch deep, is spread in the 

 bottom of a tin box (8x4x4 inches), 

 and on this rows of seeds are placed, 

 another layer of charcoal and mould 

 coming above. The box is filled in this 

 way with alternate layers of seeds and 

 packing mixture, and a box of the above 

 dimensions will hold about 200 seeds. 



In order to put the above method to the 

 test at Kew Gardens, a request was 

 made to Sir Daniel Morris that a pack- 

 age of seeds, put up in the manner des- 

 cribed, should be forwarded to Kew. A 

 box containing 200 seeds was accordingly 

 sent by parcel post from Dominica, and 

 arrived at Kew apparently in good con- 

 dition, every one of the seeds having 

 germinated on the way. A second supply 

 of seeds packed in a similar manner 

 was forwarded a few months later, and 

 these also arrived in good condition, and 

 practically all of them germinated. 



The outline of this packing experiment 

 is that cacao beans, selected, prepared, 

 and packed as above described, can be 

 sent from the West Indies to England, 

 and probably much farther, and that 

 about 70 per cent, of them are likely to 

 produce healthy plants.— A gricultural 

 News. Vol. VII., 154, March, 1908. 



COCONUT CULTIVATION. 



The Brazilian journal El Hacienda 

 recently contained a lengthy article 

 dealing with the cultivation, manuring, 

 etc., of coconut plantations. Some of 

 the points dealt with are worthy of 

 reproduction, 



In the nursery where the seedlings are 

 grown, it is recommended that the seeds 

 be planted, base uppermost, in raised 

 banks of earth, the nuts being placed 

 quite close to each other. Germination 

 takes place in about four or five months, 

 and transplanting may be carried out 

 when the plants have three or four leaves. 

 The young trees are set out at distances 

 of from 23 to 28 feet each way. The 

 more fertile the soil, the greater the dis- 

 tance at which they may be set, since 

 growth is more rapid. 



The holes dug to receive the coconut 

 plants should be about 3 feet in diameter, 

 and it is advantageous to half fill the 



hole with manure, or earth mixed with 

 ashes. Growth is more rapid in a fairly 

 loose soil. In dry seasons or dry districts 

 it will be necessary to water the plants 

 regularly, and indeed the tree is one 

 that always repays attention to provide 

 a good supply of water. Depth of soil is 

 very favourable to good gr owth of the 

 coconut. 



For the first two or three years after 

 planting, the cultivator may with 

 advantage raise other crops, such as 

 maize, cassava, ground nuts, etc., be- 

 tween the rows of palms. If the last- 

 named crop is grown and ploughed in, 

 there will be a considerable gain to the 

 fertility of the soil. Regular cultivation 

 of the land during the early years of 

 growth of the coconut trees must be 

 undertaken in order to bring about 

 development of the plantation at the 

 earliest date. Experienced growers as- 

 sert that the cost of such operations is 

 fully repaid by the enhanced returns 

 obtained. 



Some yield of fruit may be given on 

 good soil, where the trees have received 

 every attention, at the end of five years 

 after planting, but a full crop will not 

 be obtained until from the seventh to 

 the tenth year. 



At the end of the fifth year it is recom- 

 mended that the whole of the plantation 

 be cleared of other crops, undergrowth, 

 etc., and the land receive a fairly good 

 ploughing. The soil should not be dis- 

 turbed, however, too near the roots of 

 the palms. 



As a general rule, the application of 

 fertilizers to the coconut crop is repaid 

 by an increased yield, but manures 

 should not be given until the trees have 

 commenced to bear. In fact, unless the 

 soil is poor, manuring may be deferred 

 until one or two crops have been ob- 

 tained. 



Pen manure, and the use of green 

 manure, such as ground-nuts (already 

 mentioned), cow peas, and velvet beans 

 are reported to form excellent dressings 

 for coconut plantations. On some 

 estates in Ceylon it is stated to be the 

 custom to tether cattle to the trunks of 

 the trees, allowing them in this way to 

 manur e the plantation with their drop- 

 pings. In order to obtain the best results 

 the manure should be afterwards worked 

 into the soil by cultivation. 



A dressing of manure may occasionally 

 be given with advantage, even though 

 the plantation shows no sign of falling 

 off in condition. The ground should be 

 ploughed and the manure worked into 

 the soil- As in the case of most other 

 fruit trees, it is usually preferable to 



17 



