Edible Products. 



318 



[Oct. l'JOli. 



his debtor and purchases the latter's tobacco leaves fixing his own price in many- 

 cases, and the debtor does not like to offend his creditor in the least. I merely 

 describe what occurs in the villages, A cultivator applies for a loan of say R100 from 

 his money-lender. The latter readily gives the money and gets a promissory note for 

 R120 payable on demand, understanding that the amount shall be paid soon after the 

 tobacco leaves are sold, i.e., in 8 months at the most. So then the interest payable 

 on R100 for 8 months is R20, i.e., at 30 per cent per annum. 



It sometimes happens that the interest is deducted from the principal, and 

 the balance only is paid obtaining a provisory note for R100, i.e., the interest 

 payable on R80 for 8 months is R20, which is at 37J per cent per annum, 



In the first case the interest paid was at 30 per cent, and in the second case at 

 37£ per cent on a small capital. 



This is a sad state of things which, if allowed to continue, will sap the very 

 vitality of the poor cultivator iu course of time, and the Agricultural Society should 

 immediately undertake to prevent it as far as possible. The assistant local 

 Secretary, Mr. Sabaratnam, once before suggested that an agricultural credit 

 bank should be started and worked on a small scale as is done in other 

 agricultural countries. Nothing has as yet been done in that direction. If such a 

 bank is considered too large an undertaking, I would suggest, to begin with, at 

 least a credit fund be raised immediately, for the present condition of the 

 cultivators in Jaffna necessitates such a step being undertaken, and I am confident 

 that the miserable lot of the cultivators will be improved by it. 



These are merely a few suggestions which I have endeavoured to put forward 

 in the hope that they may receive sympathetic consideration and attention. 



Cultivation of the Coconut. 



A Note on the Papers dealing with the Coconut Palm in the 

 January issue of " The Philippine Journal of Science." 

 By C, Drieberg. 



These papers on the Coconut palm are essentially studies in biology, and the 

 details of minute experiments which are described are not such as will appeal to the 

 mind of the practical planter. For these reasons I do not recommend that the papers 

 should be quoted locally, at least in their entirety. There are, however, a few 

 practical facts and deductions which I give below with a view to their being brought 

 to the notice of coconut cultivators :— 



It may almost be said that the physical character of soil is of greater 

 importance than the chemical composition. The coconut requires a porous soil with 

 water within easy reach of it (though, of course, not in a stagnant condition) ; in the 

 absence of water the tree protects itself against injurious desiccation by a partial 

 suspension of vitality, with a consequently reduced yield of crop. Given such a 

 condition as is above referred to, the tree will thrive even though according to 

 chemical analysis there is apparently not sufficient fertility in the soil to enable it 

 to do so. 



But it must be borne in mind that the roots of the coconut draw nutriment 

 from a depth of at least 2 metres, (6£ feet) and a distance round the tree of from 3£ to 

 6£ metres (say an average of 5 metres, 16£ feet nearly). They, therefore, come in 

 contact with an enormous mass of soil material and appropriate the available plant 



