February, 1909.] 



[Oila[and Fats. 



means to Travancore! "Without the 

 money obtaiued by the export of 

 the coconut the people of Travan- 

 core could not buy from Burma the 

 rice that keeps them alive, or from 

 Jaffna the tobacco that keeps them 

 contended "—nor, to this may be added, 

 the piece-goods wherewith they make 

 their sparse yet picturesque cloth- 

 ing. Without the coconut palm, 

 Travancore would be almost a beggar 

 among Native States, and every well- 

 wisher of this beautiful, old-world little 

 principality must hope, therefore, that 

 science will soon be able to devise means 

 and measures to succeisf idly combat the 

 disease that is doing such damage to 

 coconut cultivation in the State- This 

 disease has been found to be infectious, 

 and as coconut cultivation is virtually 

 continuous for the whole length of the 

 littoral, the desire to find a thorough 

 remedy will be sincere, outside Travan- 

 core as well. — Indian Agricxdturist, 

 October 1, 1908. 



COCONUT PLANTING AND 

 CULTIVATION. 



By P. G. Schrader. 



As there is in fact such a diversity 

 of opinions expressed, and methods 

 employed, in the planting and culti- 

 vation of the coconut, the great 

 backbone of the Ceylonese planting 

 communities, it would be interesting 

 and highly instructive if those who 

 adopted the different methods would, 

 through the medium of this " the people's 

 paper," give their experience, with 

 methods employed, reasons aud results. 

 At present there does not seem to be 

 any two planters that adopt the same 

 methods, although they may be working 

 similar land under similar conditions. 

 Each planter seems to consider his 

 method the right one and doggedly sticks 

 to it. Surely this should not be so in the 

 enlightened 20th Century. Experience 

 teaches us that it is by the interchange of 

 opiuious that the greatest industries 

 have been built up to what they are 

 to-day. And it also shows that nothing 

 has reached a state of perfection, but 

 that progress always continues, so that 

 every individual must, to succeed, keep 

 up with the progress of the time. It is a 



MISFORTUNE AMONG THE CEYLONESE 

 that it does not seem to be yet possible to 

 have any uuited action for the progress 

 of any common cause. Caste, difference 

 of nationality, self-formulated status 

 and other such absolutely foolish aud 

 outside matters, mar what might be to 



the mutual benefit of all concerned. 

 Surely none of these reasons should come 

 in the way of an exchange of opinions 

 and ideas, etc-, through the columns of a 

 public newspaper. Anyway I hope that 

 others will agree with me that the 

 method is worth a trial. There is no 

 doubt that a lot of eccentricities have 

 been tried on the coconut palm. 

 Legend says that one planter started a 

 process of pruning ; while another used 

 soap and scrubbing brushes on the trunk 

 to keek away fungus growths. Yet 

 another made the startling announce- 

 ment that he had found out a method by 

 means of which he could make every 

 female flower turn into a matured fruit. 

 It is no doubt a very good thing that the 

 coconut palm defies all the harsh tieat- 

 ment it has, and is, receiving. Most of 

 the small village cultivators do not 

 cultivate at all ; and I have often seen 

 some coconut land under dense jungle, 

 with the palm defying neglect and pro- 

 ducing a fair number of nuts. I will 

 now give some idea of what I mean by 

 the diversity of 



ArETHODS EMPLOYED BY DIFFERENT 

 PLANTERS. 



In laying out a nursery some prefer a 

 shady place, others open land ; some 

 plant the nuts on end. others place them 

 on the side; some plant touching each 

 other, others leave a foot or 18 inches 

 between the nuts ; some water the grow- 

 ing plants, while others are of opinion 

 that it is not good to do so, and so on. 

 In planting in the field the distance 

 apart from plant to plant varies, from 

 21 feet to 30 feet. The depth of holes 

 for planting too vary, from a 3 feet cube 

 to 6 inches. Some place the plants in 

 circular holes with a diameter of 

 from 6 feet to 8 feet aud from one foot 

 to 18 inches deep. Some thiuk it neces- 

 sary to sprinkle salt on the surface 

 after planting, others salt and ashes, 

 etc., etc. In weeding some believe in 

 clean weeding ; others let the weeds grow 

 up and weed once a year; yet others 

 adopt a middle course, between the two. 

 Some bury the weeds with the fallen 

 coconut leaves in large trenches between 

 the rows of trees ; others burn the leaves, 

 weed, etc , and sprinkle the ashes round 

 the trees ; while some mix the ashes with 

 manure, etc, etc. In cultivation some 

 turn up the entire soil ; others turn the 

 soil round the tree to an extent of 6 ft, 

 from the base leaving a space of one foot 

 at the base ; others agaiu leave 18 

 inches and two feet at the base 

 and turn up 7 feet, 8 feet, etc. In 

 manuring with cattle manure some 

 trench round the trees and tie cattle 

 throughout the year, turning the 

 manure into the soil and replacing 



