THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [November i, 1881 
"where the peasantry have enough and to spare," 
507 lb. per head.* 
The cultivation of the coconut extends over the 
whole of Travaucore, which has hence been faceti- 
ously called Coconut-core ! Forty-four years ago the 
total number of coconut trees was 11,100,000, and 
the increase since has been so considerable, much 
waste laud having been planted with this valuable 
palm, that the present number cannot be estimated 
at less than 15 millions. These are almost invariably 
too closely planted to obtain full advautage of sun 
and air ; but supposing they stood at the moderate 
distance of 20 feet apart (which ia 109 to the acre), 
the area covered would amount to 137,000 acres. The 
soils best suited for the coconut are the sea-shore, 
the banks and alluvium of rivers, and level lands 
exposed to the sea-breeze ; these conditions abound 
in Travancore. Inland on the mountains the coconut 
will grow, but not bear fruit. The young plants 
generally require watering for the first two or three 
years, and must be protected from the inroads of cattle 
until they rise some feet above the ground. Ashes 
are applied as manure at the beginning of the wet 
season, and the ground opened about the roots of the 
trees, which come into bearing some eight or ten years 
after planting. A coconut plantation is one of the 
most easily managed and most remunerative products 
of the country. The natives have but to put down 
the nutB aud guard the trees more or less while at- 
tending to their othei employments, and in due course 
a permanent and profitable plantation is created. 
Europeans, however, seldom attempt such an invest- 
ment, and few who have done so have succeeded in it. 
For new plantations, waste lands are usually taken 
up. Within the last twenty or thirty years much 
land otherwise worthless has been reclaimed along 
the sandy sea-coast, and many trees have been planted 
on either side of new roads opening up into the in- 
terior. The price of 100 ordinary trees in the south- 
ern parts may be stated at about 400 rupees. These 
would produce, at a low estimate, say 2,400 nuts, 
value 34 rupees annually. The produce of the tree 
is very much dependent on soil and climate. The 
average of good trees in full bearing has been stated 
at 120 nuts in the twelve months, while in low and 
sandy soils it will amount to 200, and in gravel or 
laterite under 60. Ripe coconuts are quoted in the 
Ti evandrum market list at somewhat under two rupees 
per 100. The kernels are dried into "copra" for the 
manufacture of coconut oil. The copra is largely ex- 
ported to other parts of India, as well as the "coir" 
or fibre surrounding the husk, which is sent to Eu- 
rope and America. 
The annual value of the products of this palm ex- 
ported — nuts, dried kernel or copra, oil and fibre — 
amounts to 42 lacs of rupees, besides oil, nuts, tim- 
ber, and leaves for home use. It has been estimated 
that 60,000,000 of nuts and 15,000 candies of oil are 
annually consumed in the country. The timber is not 
exported, but split up and used for rafters, and the 
leaves are in great demand for thatching. 
The trees are sometimes tapped for a few months 
to procure the sweet juice, which, boiled while fresh, 
gives a palm sugar, and kept a day or two till it 
ferments becomes toddy, a slightly intoxicating drink, 
somewhat like beer. The toddy also is distilled into 
arrack or native spirits. 
Other palm trees are also cultivated. Next to the 
coconut comes the palmyra, which is grown only in 
the drier districts towards Cape Comorin. The pal- 
* The quantity required for an adult living wholly 
upon rice is usually reckoned at 3 nari, about 1J lb. 
per day, or rather more. The Famine Commission 
compute that for a working adult male 1£ lb. of flour 
or rice is sufficient, and for children from half to a 
f 0 urth of the quantity, according to age. 
myra, with its sweet sap aud sugar, leave*, timber, 
and fruit, furnishes a living to a great number of the 
Thanar caste in Travaucore and in Tinnevelly. The 
number of trees in 1880 was about 6,000,000. It is 
probable that no considerable increase has taken place 
since, as old trees are in demand for their timber, 
and the slow growth of this palm discourages plant- 
ing. From 160,000 to 24,000 cwts. of the sugar (jag- 
gery) of this palm are annually exported, worth some- 
thing over 3J rupees per cwt. 
The beautiful areca palm is planted in damp, clayey 
soil on the banks of tanks and rivers. Unlike the 
coconut it will thrive at a distance from the sea and 
on the hills. It is grown very largely in North Tra- 
vancore, whence the nuts are carried to the south 
by Syrian and other traders. The trees will grow 
two or three feet apart. The areca begins to bear in 
five years, and continues to produce lor twenty-five 
years. The nuts are sold wholesale at six or eight 
chuckrams per thousand, and retail in Trevandrum at 
from eight to thirty-two for a chuckram, according 
to season and demand. 3,500 candies are annually 
exported to Bombay and other ports, the value of 
which is about 4£ lacs of rupees. 
Roots, vegetables, and fruits form a considerable 
proportion of the food of the population in Travan- 
core. The forest and hill people dig out wild stringy 
yam-roots from the jungle as food in the hot season. 
Every native grows something, if he can, around his 
own dwelling for home use. The principal cultivated 
root crops are yams (Dioscor&a) of various sorts, the 
small tubers of which are planted out in the begin- 
ning of the rainy season aud dug again within a year. 
Some of these roots grow, under favourable circum- 
stances, to a large size, up to four feet in length 
and one in diameter. Sweet potatoes, the root ot a 
convolvulus, give good returns within three months 
after planting, and quantities of esculent arums (Amor- 
phophallus and Colocasia) are grown in fields furnish- 
ing a large supply of food. 
Tapioca, introduced from South America, is now 
largely cultivated in Travancore, and admirably suited 
for still more extended use. As the price of rice has 
risen of latey ears, tapioca has become the more essential 
as an article of food. It will grow in any soil, 
and needs but little care except to preserve it from 
the depredations of cattle. After the roots are dug, 
the stem is cut into pieces about 4 inches long and 
planted some 3 feet apart with a little ash or other 
manure. The root requires occasional weeding aud 
earthing, and arrives at maturity in nine or ten 
months. Well boiled it is eaten with fish curry. It 
is sometimes given to cattle. In a green state the 
root does not keep long, but it can be sliced and 
dried in the sun, or grated and made into farina. A 
field of this valuable and nutritious root is planted 
at but little cost ; its yield is very large, and its 
cultivation highly profitable. The produce has been 
estimated in Ceylon at 10 tons of green roots per 
acre : this weighs one-fourth when dried, and, if the 
dried roots gave half their weight of flour, it would 
amount to 2,8001b. per acre. With some care and 
attention any amount of the granulated flour might 
be prepared for home use and export ; but, though 
this plant grows almost wild, the people do not take 
the trouble to prepare it. 
Other culinary vegetables are amaranthus, cucumber, 
brinjal, peas, &c. Fruits commonly grown are the 
jack, of which there are two or three millions in 
the country, guava, papaw, anona, pine-apple, and 
plantains in great variety. The spices grown are pep- 
per, ginger, turmeric, and chillies. The exports of 
ginger amount to about 4 lacs rupees ; of tamarinds 
2 lacs ; of turmeric nearly 1 lac ; of pepper 3 or 4 
lacs ; and of coffee, from 4 to 8 lacs. Good crops 
are often obtained from sesamum and horse grain, 
