May 1907.] 



279 



Edible Products, 



It has been found that sea-sand preserves the young plants from the attacks 

 of white ants and the ravages resulting from dry weather, which immediately 

 follows the planting season. It also helps the young plant to throw out its roots 

 quickly. When the land is fully planted clean weeding should be started and 

 continued monthly for a period of three years. In order to defray a portion of 

 the expenses of weeding, sweet potatoes might be grown. 



The plantation during this period should be carefully protected against 

 the attacks of cattle. Three years later, clean weeding might be dispensed with; 

 weeding round the plant only should however be continued for another three years. 

 Rooting out jungle growth on the rest of the land ought to be done twice a year : 

 grass however may be left to grow. 



At this stage the Black Beetle must be carefully warded off. The trees 

 will then begin to form their trunks, and porcupines will appear as another danger. 

 These are dangers which are familiar to everyoue who knows something about 

 Coconut planting, and therefore I need not go further into the mode of their 

 prevention. Assuming that the plantation has eventually attained an age of 10 

 years, it will be found to have a good percentage of trees in blossom. I may here 

 mention that there are some who believe that a Coconut tree blossoms and begins 

 to bear when it reaches its seventh year. This theory is wrong as a general rule, 

 and it must be borne in mind that such rapid growth is confined only to those trees 

 which are grovring on the sea-coast. 



3. The Manuring of the Coconut Palm. 



The most important question which requires the earnest consideration of 

 the planter when his estate has partly reached the blossoming stage is the mode 

 of manuring his estate, whereby the trees can be made to yield remuneratively 

 without forcing the crops. This work is a very delicate one indeed, and should 

 be taken in hand very cautiously. 



Manuring at this stage should not be done indiscriminately. Those trees 

 which are in a vigorous and healthy state, and those with a good development of 

 leaf must be singled out and left alone ; whilst others, which show poor growth, 

 and are on indifferent soil, should be marked out for treatment with the application 

 of the following manure mixture of Messrs. Freudenberg & Co. :— 



4 lbs. Specially Selected Castor Cake 



2 ,, Steamed Bones (Preudenberg's manufacture) 



2 ,, Bone Meal 



3 ,, Kainit 



1 ,, Muriate of Potash 



12 lbs. 



Cost delivered in Colombo at railway station or into boat 

 per acre about Rs. 

 per ton gross weight Rs. 80'00. 



The above mixture, with 21 lbs. of cattle manure added to it, should be 

 applied to every poor tree, so that there would be a total of 3(5 lbs. of manuring 

 substance. This application would cost 75 cents per tree ; but it cannot be estimated 

 how much it would cost per acre, as it is impossible to say here how many trees 

 will be found to need it. When by this treatment the trees are brought to a 

 uniform degree of growth, application of manure, either cattle dung, if procurable, 

 or artificial mauure, might be undertaken all round once in two years. 



