7i6 
TM£ TROPldAlL 
AGRiCULtURIST . [April i, 1889. 
BECENT CEITICISM ON COCONUT ESTATES 
AND DISTE1CTS SATISFACTOEILY 
DISPOSED OF BY ONE OF THE 
OLDEST PLANTEES IN 
THE ISLAND. 
23rd March 1889. 
Dear Sir, — The writer of the letter on coconut 
estates and coconut leaf disease, signed " Planter," 
which appeared in the Supplement to your issue 
of the 18th instant, seems to me to make very 
sweeping assertions ; and with the coolest non- 
chalance condemns individual estates and whole 
districts as utterly unsuited to grow coconuts, and 
the plantations already in existence in those dis- 
tricts as likely to speedy decay and death, for 
he says: "I am of opinion that the coconut trees 
in the higher districts [what does this mean ?] 
will not thrive for long ; they flourish at the be- 
ginning, but you will find that after 20 years or 
more [how many more ?] they gradually go down 
and do not last long." He then enumerates Hena- 
ratgoda, Veyangoda, and Ambepussa as coming under 
this designation, and says they have no depth 
of soil, and that after a certain depth the roots 
reach slab rock and the trees suffer. This is 
really an alarming picture, and, if true, should 
call forth our sincere pity for the unfortunate 
owners of estates in those districts. Poor 
people ! Surely they are on the brink of 
despair at the ghastly prospects before them 
thus suddenly brought to light by the ex- 
cathedra judgment of this new Daniel. I would 
counsel them however not to be too much cast 
down, as this opinion is only that of one person 
who, whatever his claims may be (and we know 
nothing as to them except what we may infer 
from hie letter) to pass a judgment, is not in- 
fallible. I dispute his verdict.* I know somewhat 
of the districts in question and have met with 
some very good soil in them. True there is much 
stiff and clay soil too, but this is only a draw- 
back so long as cultivation is neglected, and the 
no system of cultivation ordinarily pursued by 
the ignorant native prevails. When enlightened, 
fearless and judicious working of such soils is 
taken in hand they prove that as a rule they are 
richer and more lasting than the free sandy soils 
of the sea-borde and its vicinity. The stiff and clay 
lands should be broken and turned over in clods 
to a depth of full 18 inches by means of strong 
steel-bladed tramp picks, and afterwards treated 
with 30 to 40 bushels of freshly slaked coral lime 
to the acre, scattered broadcast and allowed to be 
washed in by the rains. The clods would permit of 
free aeration, and all the rain would be absorbed 
and percolate through the soil instead of, as at pre- 
sent, more than one-half being lost owing to the 
impervious condition of the soil. In about six 
months the clods will disintegrate and the soil 
will be friable and easily worked, and should after 
this be kept in this condition by ploughing once 
a year, for the more clay soil is exposed to 
cosmic influences the more available fertilizing 
elements will there be for the roots to take up, 
and the easier will it be for the roots to travel 
in search of what they want. " Take care of the 
roots, and the stem will take care of itself," is a 
i;ound agricultural maxim. Lime in addition to 
tendering the soil friable acts on the silicates in 
it, and potash, bo necessary to most plants, and 
particularly to coconuts, is set free. The cost of 
digging and liming would probably be from B30 
to R35 per aore to do thoroughly. I emphasize 
the word tltorowjhly, as I consider it would be a 
" * So did we.— Ed. 
great squandering of money if the work were done 
perfunctorily. Much supervision would be needed 
to get the required depth done by the labourers, 
Should anyone demur to the expense I would beg 
to remind him that E25 to E30 per acre is the 
cost once in two years on well cultivated estates 
for manuring, and it pays handsomely, the 
directors of the Horrekelly Company to the contrary 
notwithstanding. 
Today I saw one of the unfortunate owners of land 
in the condemned districts alight from a railway 
carriage not a hundred miles from Ambepussa. He 
looked a determined man, and possibly in the box 
a servant was carrying, there lay hid a divining rod 
and a geologist's hammer, to be used in his search 
for that slab rock spoken of by " Planter." From 
the fierce set of his moustache I could see that 
"wild cats" were awake, and I would not give 
much for "Planter's" cuticle if he fell into his 
clutches. What the owner of the estate near 
Jaela will do to him I should be sorry to think. 
Poor " Planter " — what a hornet's nest you have dis- 
turbed ! I have learned by experience that it is 
awkward to dogmatize, particularly when you 
don't know. I still hold to the innutritive theory 
as the cause of the so-called leaf-disease, while 
I am bound to confess that there are some cir- 
cumstances which seem to point dead against it. 
I hope for the sake of all concerned that some- 
one competent to give an anthoritative opinion will 
soon be forthcoming to investigate the matter and 
relieve our minds of the present suspense.— Yours 
truly, W. J. 
COTTON CULTIVATION IN LOWER 
DUMBAEA. 
Colombo, 23rd March 1889. 
Dear Sir, — The following particulars regarding the 
experiments made by me in the cultivation of Cotton 
in Lower Hewaheta are sent in the hope that they 
will be considered as of sufficient interest to your 
readers: — 
a) a c <o « 
■ a o a .a rz. 
oo .5 o n .5 a 
Age: 
or a <a ta • 
*!S tt © © 
© o3 o a 
ci i-^" — " 
£ -a ■ £. ■£ S° £? I? ^ ™ 
Egyptian Nov. 10th 5.15 4 X 2J 25 88 15 45 32 
Timievell „ 14th 3.11 3 x % 18 100 10 24 15 
American „ 28th 2.29 4 x 2| 16 60 8 46 12 
From the above it will be observed thatthxee varieties of 
cotton were planted, the seeds of which were obtained 
from Messrs. Darley, Butler & Co., the secretaries of 
the Ceylon Spinning and Weaving Co., Ld. Of these 
the American has been considered the best in growth, 
the tallest plant of which was 46 inches in height 
at the age of three months. The Egyptian seed ger- 
minated in 6 days. 4 seeds were planted in each hole 
and the vacancies were 37 per cent for the Egyptian 
and 24 per cent for the AmericaD. The Ticnevelly 
seed unfortunately got damaged in transit. Myle- 
pitiya in Lower Hewaheta has reddish sticky soil, in 
some parts containing loamy subsoil. It is supposed 
to contain mica. — Yours faithfullv, 
p.p. O. H.DE SOYSA, Peter Soysa. 
Tobacco. — It is expected that not over 
1,000,000 pounds of tobacoo will be raised in 
Egypt this year, although the average crop is 
13,000,000 pounds. The light crop is owing to 
the excessive tax lately laid on tobacco land. — 
Florida Dispatch. 
