3SS 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
Nov.  i,  1892. 
leaving  the  pits  to  be  filled  in  time  with  weeds  and 
wash,  while  there  are  planters  still  continuing  the 
o.d  system  of  scraping  and  burying  weeds.  It  is 
evident  that  any  system  of  tillage  is  of  benefit  to 
the  trees,  acid  the  more  thoroughly  it  is  done,  the 
better;  the  cost  yarifcB  from  RIO  to  R25  per  acre. 
There  is  also  great  diversity  in  the  systems  of  pruning 
in  vogue.  Ou  one  large  property  Labo  et’s  old  Jamaioa 
system  of  pruning  is  carried  out.  The  only  wood  left  for 
bearing  must  be  direct  from  the  primary  branches.  All 
secondary  wood  after  crop  is  ruthlessly  removed,  and 
almost  all  the  enormous  growth  of  j oung  shoots,  caused 
by  such  severe  knifing  is  handled  off  during  the  rains, 
leaviug  only  the  few  shoots  oa  the  primary  branches 
for  next  crop.  Other  men  are  encouraging  all  the 
wood  they  can  get  ou  their  trees,  removing  nothing 
but  heart  wood  aud  suckers,  to  let  light  into  the 
centre,  occasionally  cutting  off  dead  wood  and  exces- 
sive growth.  Every  variety  of  pruning  is  to  be  seen 
betwteu  these  extremes  ; but  the  general  idea  is  that 
leaf  and  cover  to  protect  the  blossom  during  the  hot 
weather  saves  crop,  and  experimtnts  are  being  made 
to  fiud  the  effeofc  of  pruning  at  different  periods  of 
the  year,  instead  of  immediately  after  crop,  in  the 
hottest  weather. 
The  subject  of  manure  is  also  one  that  give3 
rise  to  great  variety  of  opinion.  One  leading 
planter  considers  the  application  of  all  organic 
manure  a waste.  He  is  a firm  adhereut  to 
Ville’s  principles,  and  urges  that  the  mineral 
deficiencies  of  the  soil  should  alone  he  supplied. 
On  these  grouuda  be  has  been  applying  bone  alone 
or  rocks,  as  containing  lime  and  decayed  Feldspathic 
potash.  His  neighbour  confines  his  attention  to  cattle 
dung  only,  and  carts  in  dry  bratties  at  a cost  of  five 
rupees  per  load  from  great  distances  all  round. 
One  planter  was  applying  booes  and  poonac  to  help 
some  htavily  bearing  trees.  Another  deuies  the  possibi- 
lity of  benefit  from  pooDao,  and  I saw  large  quantities 
of  cattle  dung  in  the  neighbourhood  of  coffee,  which 
had  apparently  been  wasting  away  for  yoars,  as  not 
worth  applying, 
I heard  of  the  application  of  salteptre,  but  could 
learn  of  no  epeoial  effect  as  yet,  and  I saw  that 
ashes  had  been  applied  to  young  plants  as  a 
preventive  of  leaf  disease.  Borer  have  been  very  de- 
structive this  last  year,  encouraged  by  the  lorg  drought, 
and  large  numbers  of  trees  are  being,  removed  and 
their  places  re-supplied.  A great  authority  from  Corrg 
expressed  his  opiuioo  that  the  success  of  CJoorg,  com- 
pared with  Wynaad,  was  partly  attributable  to 
the  greater  occurrence  of  Borer  in  that  district,  and 
the  consequent  regular  re-plaDting  of  damaged  trees, 
so  that  there  was  hardly  any  old  coffee  trees  in  the 
Coorg  Bamboo  Dis  riot.  But  there  is  very  great 
difficulty  in  bringing  on  supplies  in  Wynaad.  Many 
men,  in  the  past  difficulties  with  leaf  disease,  dis- 
continued planting  out  supplies,  and  I only  saw  one 
good  field  of  young  coffee  more  than  two  years 
old.  Plants  put  out  last  jear  and  this  season  are 
generally  coming  on  well.  Great  care  is  taken  in 
planting,  plants  being  carefully  removed  from  the 
nurseries  with  extractors  in  ball,  or  planted  out  in 
baskets,  or  in  split  bamboos,  this  last  being  now  pre- 
ferred. Several  extensive  plantations  have  been  opened 
out  in  the  past  three  years  in  Nellacotta  District  and  in 
some  of  them  too  much  regard  has  teen  shown  to  the 
rapid  establishment  of  a large  extent  of  coffee  with- 
but  that  careful  consideration  as  to  exposure  and  ns- 
pect,  whioh  experience  in  the  past  history  of  Wynaad 
coffee  should  inculcate.  With  other  products  now 
available,  hardy  plants  that  will  flourish  anywhere,  it 
seems  a pity  to  plant  coffee  in  other  than  the  most  fa- 
voured hillows.  But  it  seems  to  be  considered  that 
shade  is  a panacea  for  all  the  difficulties  hitherto  ex- 
perienced with  coffte.  Shade  for  ooffee  is  now  a most 
important  branch  of  study  for  the  planter.  Some  suc- 
cessful estates  have  been  opened  under  the  original  for- 
est trees,  but  the  damage  done  to  old  coffee  by  the 
frequent  fall  of  some  great  tree,  and  the  difficulty  of 
rearing  new  shade,  is  altogether  against  this  sys- 
tem, while  it  is  only  a few  of  the  forest  trees 
hat  are  really  friondlj  to  coffee,  and  it  is  much 
(setter  to  have  only  such  trees  under  which  coffee 
is  known  to  thrive.  Blackwood,  tara,  the  different 
cedars  and  6gs,  are  always  preserved,  but  these 
must  be  supplemented  with  youDg  shade  plants,  put 
out  with  the  coffee.  Grevillea  is  planted  out  largely  lor 
this  purpose,  but  I noticed  that  there  was  more  ai  tee 
shade  grown  than  anything  else,  th  ugh  effort  is  made 
to  vary  the  trees  planted  out  as  much  as  possible,  jack, 
grevillea  and  cedar  interspersed  among  the  altees. 
Oinchora,  which  has  been  the  ruin  of  maDy  a fine 
field  of  cuffee  in  WyDaad,  is  now  being  rapidly  elimi- 
nated. There  are  still  fine  fields  of  pinchoDa,  origi- 
nally planted  by  themselves,  or  in  fields  where  the 
coffee  has  been  killed  out.  It  is  quite  certain  that 
the  two  will  not  thrive  together,  and  I saw  coffee 
that  had  been  relieved  of  the  cinchona  coming  round 
wonderfully.  Cinchona  of  good  quality  is  sti.l  an 
adjunct  to  a planter’s  resources,  and  should  pay  for 
some  cultivation,  but  it  6eems  to  be  left  entirely  to 
itself. 
I saw  some  ledger  being  planted  out  on  only  on6 
estate,  and  that  too  among  coffee,  and  on  a most  pro- 
mising your  property,  aud  by  a planter  who  has 
always  made  coffee  pay.  This  more  tban  anything 
impressed  me,  as  to  the  diversity  of  opinions  current 
among  plauters.  There  was  only  one  subjeot  on 
which  they  were  all  united,  and  in  this  matter  they 
could  allow  no  heretio  views,  this  was  that  the 
depreciated  Rupee  bad  itself  solved  the  Currency 
Question  so  far  as  they  were  concerned. 
My  pen  has  so  run  away  with  me  that  1 must  leave 
my  notes  cn  Tea,  Gold  and  minor  products  to 
another  day. — Madras  Times,  Oct.  12. 
VARIOUS  NOTES. 
Banana  Culture — With  us  the  banana  ia  re- 
garded as  a luxury,  though  in  some  countries  it 
is  a staple  article  of  food  and  in  others  is 
destined  to  become  so.  For  several  years  experi- 
ments have  been  made  with  a view  to  extend  its 
culture.  Great  Britain  seeks  to  increase  its 
growth  in  her  tropical  colonies,  and  Germany 
‘ sees  in  the  banana  a most  nutritious  sausage 
for  feeding  its  soldiers,”  that  will  be  cheaper  than 
the  maize  it  has  recently  used  in  army  rations. 
The  banana  is  a curious  as  well  as  important 
article.  It  may  be  called  a “ fruit  ” as  above, 
but  it  might  with  equal  propriety  be  termed  a 
“ vegetable,”  and  its  original  was  a flower,  being 
the  lily.  Its  producing  power  is  stated  to  be  forty- 
four  times  that  of  the  potato,  and,  according  to 
Humboldt,  a hundred  and  thirty-three  men  can 
be  fed  with  bananas  grown  on  an  area  that  would 
only  produce  enough  wheat  for  one.  Supposing 
that  this  applies  to  an  average  yield  of  a little 
less  than  thirty  bushels  of  wheat  to  the  acre,  the 
culture  of  bananas  would  maintain  a population 
of  not  far  from  half  a million  people  to  the 
square  mile.  The  bananas  can  be  ground  into  a 
meal,  whioh  will  keep  as  long  as  flour,  and  which 
is  claimed  to  be  more  nutritious  than  meat,  and 
can  also  be  used  economically  in  the  manufacture 
of  beer.  Then  the  skin  contains  a fibre  from  whioh 
can  be  manufactured  a durable  and  fine  doth, 
while  the  juice  of  the  skin  forms  an  indelible  ink 
and  oan  be  fermented  into  a good  vinegar.  It 
is  not  impossible  that  spreading  a knowledge  of 
those  facts  will  result  in  a large  extension  of 
banana  oulture  in  the  Colonies.  The  business  is 
a paying  oDe,  and  should  offer  an  inviting  field 
for  an  industry  whioh  promises  so  well  for  those 
who  engage  in  it,  while  it  would  enable  many  to 
obtain  an  abundanoe-  of  cheaper  food  than  is  now 
available  to  them.  It  would  seem  that  this  prospeot 
is  opening  out,  as  wide  areas  are  reported  to 
have  been  bought  with  a view  to  baDsna  culture, 
for  the  production  of  meal  and  doth. — Horticultural 
7imes,  Sept.  12. 
