January, 1909.] 



27 



Edible Products,. 



Drains were then cut, and they were 

 watered from the tank ela, once a month 

 for one day, until September, since when 

 they have not been watered, and 

 probably will not want any more. 



The older trees were planted out on 

 six acres of unirrigable land in May, 1907, 

 but about 200-500 yards from the tank, 

 where there must probably be some 

 seepage. They were watered at inter- 

 vals of 14 days till the N. E. monsoon. 

 In places they were watered twice in 

 June and July, 1908, and have had no 

 other water. The ground could not be 

 cultivated till after the photograph was 

 taken, but a space was kept weeded 

 round each tree. 



The irrigable land is in a fine state of 

 tilth, it will be noticed, the tracks of the 

 teeth of the Plant Cultivator showing 

 clearly. The unirrigable land has been 

 tilled since the rains, but at the time of 

 these photographs (Aug. 24, 1908) had not 

 been tilled- 



These photographs show the possibility 

 of cultivating coconuts successfully on 

 the tank lands, with the use of the very 

 smallest amount of water. The growth 

 of trees at Peradeniya, from seeds from 

 the same tree, and of the same age, is by 

 no means so good. 



There can be no doubt that the irri- 

 gable land of the dry zone is the " best 

 unrealised asset " the island has, and we 

 hope to see it the seat of a large agri- 

 cultural enterprise. 



THE COCONUT PALM : ITS RELA- 

 TION OP WEATHER TO CROPS. 



The following paper was read by 

 Mr. J. D. Vanderstraaten, at the meeting 

 of the Board of Agriculture on 3rd 

 December, 1908 :— 



The want of literature on the coconut 

 palm has been often noticed, and is re- 

 markable considering the great value of 

 the palm to this Island. It not only 

 contributes largely to the good of the 

 people, and is directly or indirectly their 

 chief cource of income, but it furnishes 

 the Government with 12 per cent, of its 

 Revenue through arrack rents, and 

 supplies the magnificent Harbour of 

 Colombo with more than half of its ex- 

 port shipping tonnage, and may well, if 

 the cultivation of the palm be encouraged 

 and stimulated, supply quite two-third 

 to three of the tonnage. The American 

 Government, shortly after the acquisition 

 of the Philippine Islands, began the 

 scientific study of the coconut palm, 

 which previously had not been, I believe, 



the subject of scientific investigation ; 

 and it is very desirable that the Ceylon 

 Government should, if it has not begun 

 already, undertake researches into the 

 life history and cultivation of the coconut 

 palm on almost the same lines as the 

 valuable researches concerning Para and 

 other rubber-yielding trees. For, al- 

 though the coconut palm is such a 

 familiar tree to us all, as usual with all 

 things with which we are familiar, 

 accurate knowledge is wanting and much 

 error prevails, some of a serious economic 

 nature, e.g„ it is generally believed by 

 the larger proportion of coconut garden 

 owners (am I overstating it when I put 

 it quite as high as 90 per cent ?) that 

 manuring is ultimately and soon hurtful 

 to the tree, even fatally so, though at 

 first attended with some increase of crop ; 

 this I say is a serious economic error, for 

 the produce of the coconut plantations 

 in the Island may easily be at least 

 doubled by manuring the gardens. The 

 experience of those who have cultivated 

 and manured gardens previously innocent 

 of either tillage or added fertilizers, has 

 been that a three or even fourfold in- 

 crease may be obtained and permanently 

 maintained, without any shortening of 

 the life of the trees. But, to convince 

 the people of this and of it being quite 

 within their means to properly cultivate 

 their lands, it would seem necessary that 

 a Government scientific department 

 should carry out experimental cultivation 

 and issue manuals in the vernacular, 

 giving the results and all required 

 directions. The advantages that would 

 result to the country, to the Government 

 and to the people within less than a 

 decade, would be incalculable. 



Amongst other misconceptions about 

 the coconut tree may be mentioned the 

 general belief that each tree bears twelve 

 bunches of fruit a year ; that heavy rain 

 is beneficial, and the heavier the more 

 beneficial ; that, on the other hand, 

 drought is hurtful, even drought of the 

 kind that ordinarily prevails during the 

 early months of the year. In this paper 

 I propose to consider the relation between 

 the weather and crops, and it is not 

 inopportune, seeing that the rainfall this 

 year has been throughout the Island 

 much below the average, and in some 

 districts the drought has been unpre- 

 cedentedly severe, as in the Puttalm 

 district. 



At the outset I must disclaim having 

 definitely succeeded in tracing the exact 

 time relative between the weather and 

 crops. I have formed a theory out of 

 some data where many necessary data 

 are required for accurate conclusions. 

 It is with a view to elicit discussion and 



