May  i,  1893.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
707 
(across  the  slope  if  there  is  one)  three  feet  deep  and 
two  feet  wide,  and  opening  out  into  a cross  drain  so 
that  excess  of  moisture  may  drain  away.  These 
drains  should  be  cleaned  out  before  the  beginning 
of  each  monsoon.  The  good  effect  of  this  treat- 
ment would  soon  be  apparent,  and  any  subsequent 
tillage  would  not  be  thrown  away.  To  satisfy 
the  doubting  mind  an  aore  or  two  might  be  tried 
as  an  experiment.  Where  an  estate  has  been 
neglected  it  would  be  necessary,  before  venturing 
upon  manuring,  to  dear  and  burn  all  jungle 
growth,  weeds  and  fallen  branehes ; and  to  dig 
over  or  plough  the  surface  to  a depth  of  at  least 
one  foot.  Drains  Bhould  be  cut  where  the  soil  is 
at  all  inclined  to  be  swampy,  or  where  the  land 
is  very  level  and  water  does  not  flow  off  readily. 
Stagnant  water  is  poison  to  a cooonut  tree,  while 
it  revels  by  the  side  of  a running  stream  I know 
of  many  estates  and  gardens  that  would  benefit 
greatly  by  having  some  drains  out  in  them,  though 
the  owners  do  not  seem  to  see  it, 
It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  the  first  application 
of  manure  to  a neglected  or  partially  exhausted 
estate  will  raise  the  yield  from  say  15  or  20  nuts 
up  to  35  or  40  in  the  Becond  year.  There  will 
be  an  appreciable  inorease  in  the'  yield,  but  the 
bulk  of  the  manure  applied  will  go  to  build  up 
the  trees  and  fit  them  for  heavy  bearing  after  the 
second  application.  The  first  dressing  to  a neg- 
leoted  estate  should  consist  largely  of  nitrogenous 
matters  so  as  to  give  the  trees  good  heads  of  leaves  : 
a very  necessary  thing  if  the  trees  are  to  do  their 
duty  by  the  tillage  they  receive  afterwards.  To 
all  who  are  inclined  to  manure  their  estates  I 
would  give  this  advice  : do  not  begin  unless  you 
intend  to  oarry  on  the  work  systematically  and  at 
regular  stated  intervals.  To  adopt  the  Irishman’s 
method  of  procuring  streaky  baoon,  by  fattening 
his  animats  at  one  time  and  starving  them  at 
another,  will  never  do.  To  permit  the  first  appli- 
cation of  manure  to  be  completely  exhausted  be- 
fore giving  a second  is  wasteful  in  the  extreme  ; 
the  vigour  of  the  trees  decline,  and  a large 
part  of  the  seoond  application  is  consumed  in 
again  bringing  the  trees  into  good  condition  to 
enable  them  to  bear — and  I have  learned  by 
experience  that  this  is  a harder  thing  to  do  than 
might  be  supposed — while  a second  application 
before  the  first  is  exhausted,  beeps  the  trees  in 
continuous  vigour,  and  enables  them  to  yield  the 
maximum  crop  possible  from  the  food  available. 
I have  found  that  manuring  onoe  in  two  years 
is  a good  plan  ; that  is  doing  one  half  the  estate 
in  alternate  years.  This  is  preferable  to  doing  the 
whole  estate  each  year,  as  there  is  a saving  in 
application  and  the  roots  are  not  out  too  often. 
While  to  apply  sufficient  to  last  three  years  ties 
up  too  much  capital,  and  increases  the  risk  of 
some  of  the  manure  being  washed  away  beyond 
the  reach  of  the  roots.  With  these  remarks  I will 
now  state  what  I consider  the  best  manures,  and 
the  method  of  their  application. 
Foremost  comes  oattle  droppings ; then  bones 
or  fish;  white  castor  cake;  wood  ashes.  Thete 
contain  the  elements  most  largely  removed  from 
the  soil  by  crops,  and  which  if  not  restored  sion 
causes  “exhaustion”;  namely  nitrogen,  phosphoric 
auid  and  potash.  To  obtain  the  greatest  benefit 
from  oattle  manure  the  animals  should  be  tied 
to  the  trees  during  the  night,  as  by  this  method 
no  ammonia  is  lost.  If  oattle  are  housed  during 
inclement  weather  they  take  no  harm  from  ex- 
pofeure  at  other  times.  Proceed  thus  : let  two 
head  of  cattle,  be  tied  to  each  tree  for  seven  nights, 
then  spread  the  droppings  evenly  in  a circle  of 
12  feet  diameter— the  tree  being  the  centre  j— 
over  this  soatter  a mixture  of  4 lb.  finely  ground 
bone  dust  and  6 lb.  ground  white  oastor  cake. 
Dig  and  thoroughly  mix  all  these  to  a depth  of 
9 or  10  inohes ; after  levelling,  sprinkle  10  lb. 
wood  ashes,  and  lightly  rake  in.  The  object  of 
applying  the  ashes  on  the  surfaoe  is  to  prevent, 
as  far  as  possible,  the  soluble  potash  from  being 
carried  down  too  quiokly,  by  heavy  rains,  be- 
yond the  reach  of  the  roots.  As  over  the  dug 
surface  grass  and  weeds  are  sure  to  grow 
rank,  and  appropriate  a share  of  the  man- 
ure, I would  recommend  that  it  be 
covered  over  with  the  leafy  portion  of  the  dry 
cooonut  leaves  too  deep  ; this  will  prevent  the 
growth  of  weeds,  and  somewhat  retard  evaporation ; 
and  if  the  land  is  at  all  on  a slope  will  prevent 
wash,  while  it  will  not  interfere  with  aeration  or 
prevent  acoess  of  rain.  Some  people  like  to  see 
nothing  but  a green  sward  under  the  trees,  and 
object  to  this  semi-mulching  as  detracting  from 
the  appearance  of  the  estate.  Such  may  dispense 
with  it,  but  the  manured  spaoes  will  need  to  be 
mamoty  weeded  onoe  in  three  months  and  the 
grass  and  weeds  buried.  A manuring  of  the  above 
description  will  last  for  two  years ; and  where  the 
trees  are  already  in  good  heart,  should  yield  from 
60  to  80  nuts  p9r  tree  according  to  the  season,  and 
at  the  end  leave  them  in  full  vigour.  It  is  very 
seldom  however  that  any  considerable  extent  of  an 
estate  oan  be  manured  in  this  way,  as  one  head 
of  oattle  would  only  do  26  trees  in  a year ; and 
to  treat  100  aores  of  say  7,000  trees  would  require 
270  oattle.  As  very  few  estates  are  so  fortunately 
situated  as  to  have  grazing  ground  for  suoh  a herd 
it  becomes  necessary  to  rely  mainly  on  bones, 
castor  oake  and  wood  ashes,  supplemented  with 
whatever  manure  can  be  purchased  from  the  road- 
Bide  cattle  sheds  and  chekku  yards,  whose  owners 
either  do  not  know  the  value  of  it,  or  have  no 
gardens  of  their  own  in  which  to  utilize  it.  On 
the  first  three  descriptions  of  soil,  bones,  eastoi? 
oake  and  wood  aBhes  do  well ; but  on  the  fourth  it 
is  neeessary  to  have  some  bulky  substanae,  say 
vegetable,  tank  soil,  or  burnt  olay,  to  mix  with 
them.  I would  recommend  the  following  as  fair 
proportions  for  a good  mixture  Which  would  last 
two  years  and  yield  satisfactory  results. 
12  lb.  white  oastor  oakei 
4 lb.  finely  ground  bone  dust, 
12  lb.  wood  ashes. 
If  oattle  manure  is  available  one  imperial 
bushel  to  each  tree  would  be  a very  great 
addition ; but  it  is  not  absolutely  necessary. 
These  are  to  be  applied  in  the  same  manure  as 
directed  above  for  cattle  manure  &o.  Steamed  bones 
are  more  expensive  than  the  ground  artiole  j but 
where  a speedy  result  is  desired  they  are  preferable.* 
Coconut  husks  and  leaves  oontain  a large  percentage 
of  potash  ; and  if  those  are  burned  in  small  heaps 
in  the  squares  between  the  trees  much  of  the 
potash  removed  from  the  soil  wilt  thus  be  restored. 
When  purchasing  ashes  from*villag9rs  they  Bhould 
be  tested  by  washing  a few  lb.;  pure  ashes  will 
nearly  all  float  away  with  the  water,  and  the  residue 
will  show  how  much  sand  is  mixed  with  it.  Fanoy* 
ing  I was  getting  pure  ashes  I for  one  entire  week 
paid  for  what  on  testing  turned  out  two-thirdB  to 
three-fourths  earth  and  sand  I Where  there  is 
difficulty  in  procuring  aBhes,  a trial  might  be  made 
of  kainit,  an  impure  potash  salt  from  Germany; 
Light  soils  would  be  greatly  improved  by  growing 
a crop  of  some  legume  and  ploughing  it  in  just  about 
the  time  it  shows  signs  of  blossoming.  W.  J. 
* If  fish  manure  is  used  8 lb.  should  be  applied  to 
each  tree  with  the  other  ingredient, 
