August i, 1881.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
»95 
COCONUT CULTIVATION. 
Of late years very little attention is given to coco- 
nut cultivation in this city and its suburbs, though 
at one time— and this was not many years ago— owners 
of land, natives especially, emulated each other in 
forming largo and well-stocked coconut plantations. 
Coconut cultivation is by no means an unremunerat- 
ive business. In the northern and southern parts of 
Madras, from Royapooram to the village of Trivat- 
toor and between St. Thome and Adyar and further 
south, coconut trees may bo seen planted in admired 
confusion. It was once considered a grand thing for 
a moderately well-to-do Hindu, official or non-official, 
to possess a well-stocked garden of coconut trees 
either at Washermanpettah, on the Trivaitoor High 
Road and other places and those who had no desire 
to enter into trade or public employ were content to 
be owners of small gardens on the produce of which 
they subsisted. lint these things have now changed. 
To own a small plantation is considered somewhat 
infra dig. : to pass the matriculation examination, to 
enter the Government service, to be a subordinate in 
a public office, to be a prominent member of a reading 
or debating society are considered worthy the ambi- 
tion of the members of the rising Hindu generation, 
while a very lucrative business is being gradually ne- 
glected. The effect of this indifference will not be felt 
now. Ten or twenty years hence when the plantations 
now in full working shall be no more, the want of the 
coconut tree will be felt and then we may look forward 
to the revival of a branch of industry that is just now 
neglected. 
Many years ago, when people were anxious to do 
something whereby their names may be perpetuated, 
or when they wished to endow a public institution — 
be it educational, ecclesiastical or charitable — they 
generally made over lands for the support of the 
institutions and such lands were invariably planted 
with coconut trees, the revenues from which went 
to the support of the institution or charity. We see 
this especially in connection with Roman Catholic and 
Hindu endowments. The revenue from these planta- 
tions during certain seasons is fairly good and well 
able to support small charities. Some years ago when 
Lord Napier was Governor of Madras, he hit upon 
the idea of planting the grounds attached to the 
Cordon Refuge in St. Thome with coconut trees in 
the hope that revenue will in time be derived from 
this source for the support of the institution. A fine 
coconut tope has been formed alongside that useful 
institution bnt, strange to say, that although ten or 
more years have passed since the trees were planted, 
they have neither produced coconuts nor toddy. Few 
products of the vegetable world are adapted for so 
nnmy useful and divers purposes for the convenience 
of man as the coconut tree. It may be mentioned that the 
Laccadive islands produce a very large supply of coconut3 
and that the islanders I artcr the valuable produce 
of their trees for blue cloth, old guns, knives, &c, 
which they very much prize. The revenues of the 
Government are, to a certain extent, dependent on 
the extension of coconut planting. Every coconut 
tree that produces toddy for the time is the property 
of the Government. The abkarry department takes 
charge of and marks the tree and the abkarry con- 
tractor of the district or village is bound to draw- 
toddy from the tree and pay the owner a stipulated 
rato for the juico he extracts. The toddy contract of 
a large city like Madras bnnge in some thousands 
of rupees a year and in some of the mofussil districts 
tho revenue is much larger. Tho contractor under- 
takes to draw and sell toddy in so many shops in a 
village or talu<[ of the district which he has purchased 
and lie has to carry out tho terms of his contract 
very rigidly, failing which ho lays himself upon to 
severe p. 'Haiti. .. 
We have alluded to some of tho advantages to bo 
derived from the cultivation of the coconut and of 
tho condition of some of the plantations in the 
northern and southern parts of the town. It is 
evident that interest in this valuable branch of 
agricultural industry is on the wane. While the 
Government are giving attention to other mat- 
ters connected with the agriculture, it may not 
bo undesirable to give some little consideration 
to coconut plantation* from which the public revenues 
derive a not insigi.ifhant portion of their income. 
The abkarry department will not, ten or fifteen years 
hence, bo able in Madras to show such a large income 
from the toddy contract as is now clone owing to the 
fact that coconut plantations do not receive the same 
attention from private persons as they used to do. 
Ihe Government of Ceylon, we observe, is giving 
some attention to this matter, and Europeau planters 
have entered a field which w»s hitherto left altogether 
to Hindu enterprise. In Jaffna coconut cultivation 
a few years ago was considered very unremunerative 
and few Europeau planters cared to venture in a 
speculation which they all along thought would not 
turn out well. But they have found out their mis- 
take. One or two experiments lately tried have proved 
so successful that ihey have been encouraged to 
further efforts, and plantations which two or three 
years ago would have been willingly sold for tue 
value of the land are at present held for much higher 
prices. What has been achieved in Ceylon may be 
easily attained in Madras and it is left to those who 
have the will and the means to make an effort and 
with the countenance of the Government, a valuable 
agricultural industry may be successfully worked. — 
Madras Standard. 
THE VALUE OF SAWDUST MANURE. 
I am glad to see that Mr. Westland has put the 
question as to the value of sawdust manure. The 
same thought had occurred to me more than 12 
months ago in regard to its usefuhuss or otherwise 
for horticultural purposes. My experience here, amidst 
so much market-garden funning, had previously fully 
established its reputation as a highly-fertilising medium 
for fields and field-grown crops. As, however, from 
some cause not yet explained this material did not 
.appear to be so popular as it should be, and know- 
ing its value from personal observations made during 
my fn-quent visits to farmers around, I determined 
upon having a wagon lead, and to test it for myself, 
as I am so frequently asked questions in regard to 
I a manure readily obtainable for the use of amateurs. 
The load which I got came direct from the London 
General Omnibus Company's yard. It was cjuite fresh, 
and was very hot from fermentation. I had it shot 
in a convenient place for a day or two, and then 
began to test it. It would take up too much of your 
space for mo to give in detail what I consider to 
be the completo success of my trial of this material 
with nil kinds of crop, not excepting grass sward, 
vegetables, fruits, &c, especially raspberries, the canes 
upon which are now half as large again as they' were 
previous to its use. I will give but one fuct in regard 
to it, which I thiuk speaks loudly in its praise. At 
I the time I commenced to test it I had living in the 
greenhouse two dozen each of hyacinths, narcissi, and 
tulips, which had not yet been planted, though it 
was getting late in the season for so doing. To test 
this material I had a largo box tilled entirely with 
the material, and without even the addition of soil 
of any kind. The bulbs were then pressed firmly into 
it. First a row of d« art" tulips, then a row of tournesols, 
another of hyacinths, and at the back two of lml v - 
authus narcissi. These made a wonderful start. The 
roots seemed to run rapidly into tho sawdust, nud 
fine breaks were mad.'. When the leaves with 
llower upikes were some I in. long, 1 had an intention 
