bee. i, 1893.] Sapptement to the " Tropical AgricuUiirist. i-27 
through a mistaken notion that the plants might 
be injured or through hiziness, the landowner 
does not separate them but allows them to grow 
ill )<itii, with the result that, when tliey grow up 
into big trees, tliey get crowded and smothered. 
Again, I have seen different sorts of fruit trees 
promiscuously planted together. I should think 
tliat, as a general rule, it would be advisable to 
plant each kind of fruit trees in separate plots. 
At any rate the more delicate varieties should 
be planted by themselves. When they are mixed 
up with the hardier trees, the stronger will, as it 
were, try to oust the weaker on the principle 
" miglit is right." For who does not know tliat 
a tender plant by the side of a rank feeder is 
deprived of its proper share of jjlant food by 
the latter ? Besides, when the more delicate 
varieties of fruit trees are planted separately, 
the gardener will find it easier to give them the 
extra care and tending that they need. 
It might be useful to remark in this connection 
that in the case of bananas or plantains, special 
care must be taken to plant them in a separate 
plot, not because they are themselves tender or 
delicate, but because they are such rank feeders 
that they will not allow any delicate fruit trees 
or vegetables to thrive in their vicinity. The 
native gardeners have some idea of this, but their 
explanation is that the shade of the plantain tree 
is detrimental to other plants. The fact however 
is that the plantain being a very gross feeder, 
sends its fleshy rootlets several yards around and 
greedily absorbs every particle of manure it could 
get, regardless of the wants of its weaker neigh- 
bours. I have found by experience that when 
plantains are allowed to grow on the border of 
a kitchen garden, the vegetables near them do not 
succeed well at all, and large enclosures are com- 
monly seen set apart entirely for them in the 
Kandyan districts. 
Some idea miglit be formed from what I have 
already said, of the irregular and haphazard 
manner in which fruit culture is generally carried 
on in the South-West of the Island, and the need 
there is for systematic cultivation of orchards. I 
may here quote the following passage from 
Mr. H. AV. Green's " Primer of Agriculture." He 
says " I should like to see orchards of fruit trees 
planted over acres and acres of land in the 
Kalutara distrits and elsewhere, instead of occa- 
sional fruit trees here and there, with no method 
or regularity. Apart from ail other questions, 
there should be a good market for good fruit 
properly grown, with Colombo so near, a town 
which, since it has become the port of call for so 
then A. G. A. of Matara, I made a nurserj' of man- 
gosteen seedlings in his model garden next to 
the ]\ratara Police Station, as he was anxious to 
extend mangosteen cultivation in that town. 
Eeference has already been made in the columns 
of your Magazine to the efforts made by the 
Jaffna Government Agent to extend tlie culti- 
vation of grafted mangoes. 
Occasionally we also find private individuals 
who take a special interest in the extension of 
fruit culture. Only the other day, I visited 
the nurseries of Mr. J. P. Abraham, at Grand- 
pass, and found that he has a good stock of man- 
gosteen and sapodilla seedlings. 
Of course much remains to be done by way 
of extending the cultivation of the rarer and 
more valuable foreign fruits, and such of these 
as tlirive in one part of the Island might be 
introduced into other parts where the climate 
and soil are similar. For instance, Hambantota 
is every much like Jaffna in these respects, and 
we have heard of palmyrah culture being intro- 
duced there from the North and proving a suc- 
cess. But why should not grape culture, which 
is so successful in Jaffna, be tried in Hamban- 
tota as well ? 
What is, however, more important is that the 
numerous sorts of good fruits which are already 
so commonly grown should be cultivated in a 
systematic method. A few methods by which 
native fruit culture might be improved may be 
noticed here : — 
( 1. ) The careful selection of superior varieties. — 
It is of no use growing any miserable kind of 
orange, maiigo, or other fruit which comes first 
to hand. Good seeds from superior varieties of 
fruits should be selected for planting. But as 
seedlings are so slow in coming into bearing, and 
do not always preserve the quality of the fruit, 
it will be far more advantageous to have recour,se 
to grafting and budding. The great object of 
grafting is to preserve and multiply varieties 
and sub-varieties of fruit trees, the qualities of 
which cannot be transferred with certainty to 
their offspring by seeds, and which would be multi- 
plied too slowly or ineffectually by any other 
mode of propagation, as well as to accelerate and 
improve the fruiting of the trees. 
(2.) Suitable preparation of the land. — For any 
kind of fruit culture, it goes without saying that 
the land must be well drained either naturally 
or by artificial means. A damp or wet soil is the 
least suited for the purpose. The land should 
also be broken up to a depth of at least IS inches, 
befere planting out the young fruit trees. It is 
very seldom that our native gardeners pay any 
regard to the drainage and cultivation of their 
orchards, if indeed they have any which are 
worthy of the name. 
(."3.) Sij.it ematic planting out. — -At Bandara- 
gama and other parts of the Kayigam Korale, I 
have noticed fruit trees allowed to grow in 
clumps and groups while there is plenty of waste 
land in which tliey might have been planted out 
iif, regular distances. It is not uncommon that 
seeds thrown into the compound along with the 
sweepings from the house get self-sown in a 
group ; and it is not until the seedlings from 
them have grown several feet high and liave 
come to a fair size, that they receive any notice 
^ottl» laeutiwing. But eveu theu, wither 
many steamers, should certainly be able to 
provide better fruit than is ordinarily to be pro- 
cured in the bazaars." 
The Editor of the Tropical Agricultvr{.?t says 
in the last ( October) number of that valuable jour- 
nal : — " An orchard of mangosteens or even of 
oranges in these 'steamer' days would be a little 
fortune in itself." 
The village landowner is, however, not quick 
enough to perceive what a paying concern a good 
orchard will bo, and the necessity there is for 
extensive and systematic horticulture. Tliere is 
no example which he might emulate or copy, and 
advise is simply lost on liim. Wh'it is most 
needed now is a model fruit ganlen. Some 
mouths back it was iutemled to oj)eu one 
