MoV. ii 1893;] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
THE Supply op palmyea and 
OTHER FIBRE. 
A very material impetus to the welfare of the 
rutive inhabitants of our Northern and Eastern 
Provinoes has of late been afforded by the demand 
ifor palmira fibre. Anyone acquainted with the 
districts which have specially benefited by this 
demand would have deemed that the supply must 
have proved almost mora than adequate, but the 
teaohing of experience seems to have demonstrated 
the insufiioiency of it. For very many miles the 
Jaffna Peninsula presents an almost unbroken 
grove of these somewhat unsightly palms. Along 
the shores on both the east and west coasts soath- 
wards towards Manaar on the one side and Trin- 
oomalea on the other, there also exist long-stretch- 
ing groves of the tree. In the neighbourhood of 
Battioaloa also, the palmira has long been culti- 
vated, in large quantities, so that, as we have 
aaid, little apprehension oould have been felt of 
the disparity which has been proved to exist 
between demand and supply. It becomes a question 
well worthy of consideration as to how the balance 
may be redressed. The palmira is an exceed- 
ingly slow growing tree. It is stated, indeed, 
that it does not reach maturity under a hundred 
years. In that case there could be little prospect 
of any substantial addition to the number of 
fibre-yielding trees within the lifetime of the 
present generation. Anyone who might plant 
them must do so only in the hope of benfiting 
his grandchildren, and we fear this fact must 
tend to dtsaouraga the further extension of the 
Qultivation, The coconut palm does not yield its 
full crop until 20 years have matured its growth, 
and -we know that this has been largely the 
cause tending to restrict its further systematio 
cultivation. While tea renders its full return 
almost at the age of three years, the raluotanoe 
to give attention to the more slow-growing produc- 
tions can be well understood. The counterbalance 
is, however, to be fouad in the fact that millions 
of acres exist in Ceylon unfitted for any growth 
except that of the palmira. It is, besides, a tree 
which requires little or no care or attention after 
the seedlings have been once planted out. It 
may, therefore, be hoped that many may feel 
inolined to plant such land with palmira or 
other fibre-yielding palms. If the fruics should 
not be gathered by them, at least land eo planted 
must year by year become enhanced in value, 
and so aSord a return for the slight 
first expense to be incurred. It seems to be a 
question as to whether the gathering of the fibre 
does not reduce the other yielding qualities of 
the tree. It may possibly be the case that this 
apprehended difiiculty may be due more to the 
want of experience in obtaining the fibre than 
from any evil that must positively attend the col- 
lection: But we think it should be borne in mind 
that the world's demand f<»r fibre extends with 
leaps and bounds, and manufacturers are every 
day experiencing increasing difficulty in obiainiog 
the supplies they require. Palmira fibre has evi- 
dently been appreciated by them as a stop gap, 
but as they cannot, apparently, rely upon get lag 
all that they want of it, substitutes must be found. 
We should seriously recommend those who have 
benefited by the late ran upon this special fibre 
to consider whether it would not be possible to 
cultivate other trees which yield a similar article 
and which come earlier to maturity than does 
the palmira. It has been shown to them how 
ample a market may be secured for fibres mseting 
the wants of home manufacturers, and they will 
proTe themselves to be wanting in resource if they 
nftkt &() «adQa7ou( meg( it, 
\^ 
RUBBER AND COFFEE-PLANTING IN 
MEXICO. 
Some interesting experitneDta have been in prooesa 
for some time on the I-'thmm of Tehiuntepec, look- 
ing to the cultivation of coffee with the U3e of rubber- 
trees for Blmding, bo that the two industries mav go 
OQ together. This isthmus lies betwf en the Gulf of 
Maxioo and the Pacific Oocau, at the point where 
the two spai aporoaoh nearest each other. In the 
India Rubber World Mr. F. O. Harriman, O.E., 
Jaltipaa, Vera Cruz, says : 
Toe rubber-tree {Casiilloa elastica) was founl to 
give as good if not belter resulta tnaa any of the 
woois formerlj' uied, and all tie v plantations are enb- 
stituting this shade-tree. 
On account of the continued hiifh price of both 
coffee and rubber for several years pa-)t, and of the 
great advantages of this diairict in fertility, ex- 
cellence of itsooitee, favorable means of communica- 
tion both by river and the isthmus railroad, and 
nearness to the markets of the Unitdd States, a great 
stride has been made in their production. Without 
doubt this district will bocome a most important 
factor in the worid'a production of both rubber and 
coffee. 
In the town of Jaltipan, for instance, where ten years 
ago there were not more than 30,001) coiiee-trees aad 
no planted rubber, we find today tiuudreds of thou.sands 
of oolfee-trees, with corresponding rubber shade-trees. 
Thare is a great boom in this ioterest all over the isth- 
mus, natives and foreiguers trying to outdo eaoli other. 
From actual experiments Mr. Harriman gives 
directions for the cultivation of coflfee in connection 
with rubber, and to him we would refer ail pirtiea 
interested. He states that the coffee-trea will bear 
the third year after setting out, and the fourth 
year will produce an average yield of about two pounds 
per tree. He says ; 
One plantation in the district of Pena Blanoa gives a 
yearly average of over taree pouudj, which is a great 
deal more than the average of the plantaEious in the 
high altitudes of Oordova, Orezala, Oaxaca, and Q-uate- 
mala, whereone pound per tree is considered a good yield. 
The old theory that ootfae should be planted at an eleva- 
tion of over 3,000 feet is entirely without foundation. 
It arose trom the simple fact that plantations ware 
formerly mostly made in high localities on account of 
life baiuK more pleasant there, the climate being 
cooler and more healthful, and disagreeable inaeota 
being lass plentiful, Linds on the isthmus at aa ele- 
vation of 400 to 1,500 feet have the advantages. (1) 
of prodnoiog a greater quantity per tree of coffee 
(2) of being much better adapted to the growtb of 
rubber, and (3) of being aaapted to cacao culture, 
besides having more fertile soils: Our ooffee-treeH 
spread out very much, and even when planted 2i 
and 3 yards apart, will interlace after four years when 
the ground below becomes ao shaded that little or no 
work is needed in cleaning. 
From actual experience in planting coffee with rub- 
ber shade I find that it can be done (iuclu iiug clean- 
ing ground, buying plants, setting ou-,re3euiug those 
that die, and the three cleanings that are needed) for 
9 cents per tree. Ttiia is tor ona rubbjr-tree tu ' four 
coiiee-treas. The second year there will be abjui 10 
per cent of reietting on account ot loss to 
weaker plants, or say nine-tenths ot 1 cent per 
tree. The three cleaniugs in the Sicond 
year will coat 37§ cjnts per hundrad uves 
including tweaty-five, rubbers or |1 12i tor the three 
cleanings,— that lal^ cents per tree. The tuiru year tho 
cost will ba the same, anl tiietJtal cose by tbe time 
the coffee begins to produce wi 1 be ISJ cents For 
100,000 coffee-trees aud the oorreepoa Jin^j 2o,000 
ruboor-trees we have a total coat of plant ilion for 
three years (not inoludiug salary of m mazier, etc.) 
of $12, 20c. Xbe third year the crop will ba ao smtll 
that it may only pay for piokiug, but tde lourtu year 
it will ba profitable, aud, aa tUo grouud m so well 
shaded by thii tioie, very little work iu ul(;«ujuj{ wiU 
