786 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
(June  r,  1893. 
Then  Dikoya,  Uva,  Maskeliya,  Hewaheta,  Kotmale, 
Pussellawa,  Ambagamua  whioh  jointly  produoed 
21J  million  lb.  of  tea  at  an  average  of  9J  or  Id 
more  than  Ealutara  got,  or  = 7 cents  say,  against  a 
far  heavier  average  yield  and  lower  expenditure. 
Then  take  the  three  districts  whose  teas  topped 
the  market— Bogawantalawa,  Udapussellawa  and 
Dimbula — whioh  produced  oolleotively  16  million  lb. 
of  tea  at  lOgd  per  lb„  and  here  we  have  only  a 
difference  of  2$d  or  under  15  cents  remember,  in  the 
very  choice  districts,  whioh  I maintain  is  more  than 
made  up  for  by  cheaper  production,  and  larger  crops 
in  the  low  country. 
I find  in  conclusion  that  the  Hill  gardens  sold  in 
London  last  year  51^  millions  of  pounds  tea,  at  an 
average  of  9jd  per  lb.,  while  the  low  country  gardens 
averaged  over  8d  per  lb.  leaving  an  average  of 
10  cents  in  favour  of  upoountry  teaB  in  value, 
against  which  has  to  go  about  10  cents  extra  cost  of 
production,  and  a far  smaller  orop  per  acre— Yours 
truly,  PLANTER. 
COFFEE  PLANTING-  IN  CENTRAL  AND 
SOUTH  AMERICA. 
Kansas  City,  April  7. 
Dear  Sir, — Under  separate  cover  I send  you 
prospectus  of  Coffee  Company  and  also  prospectus 
of  another  Company  in  Bogota.  Knowing  the  deep 
interest  you  have  always  taken  in  everything  per- 
taining to  coffee  and  coffee  planting,  1 feel  sure 
these  papers  will  be  interesting  to  you.  To  old 
Ceylon  planters  the  figures,  estimates  and  state- 
ments made  in  the  Bogota  paper  will  be  rather 
startling  ; to  me  they  oertainly  are,  and  I gained  my 
experience  in  coffee-planting  on  the  Ouvah  and 
Spring  Valley  Company  estates,  and  I rather  think 
the  pioneer  and  founder  of  those  estates  would  also 
be  rather  astonished  with  the  Bogota  prospeotus  if 
one  were  handed  to  him. 
I am  interested  in  the  Guatamela  Company  and 
purpose  going  there  shortly.  Evidently  the  methods 
Used  by  South  American  and  Central  American 
planters  are  very  different  toourOejlon  methods. 
Of  course  I believe  in  Ceylon  methods,  and 
would  like  to  see  our  style  adopted  on  this 
property.  I would  write  more  fully  were  I sure 
that  this  letter  would  reach  you.  Possibly  you 
remember  some  portions  of  my  career  in  Ceylon. 
Geo.  Morice,  Wood,  Bayley,  Irvine  were  my  intimate 
friends  and  I was  manager  for  Glenny  & Co.  in 
Badulla  in  the  last  years  of  my  stay  in  Ceylon. 
The  last  I heard  from  Ceylon  was  from  my  old 
friend  Jas.  H.  bproule  formerly  of  Badulla  now  in 
Kandy,  and  he  sent  me  oopies  of  the  Observer.  I 
trust  the  island  is  once  more  financially  prosperous. 
-—Yours  very  respectfully,  W.  CAR  l WRIGHT. 
[We  are  very  glad  to  hear  fnm  Mr.  Cartwright 
whose  name  as  an  Uva  residtnt,  we  remember 
well ; we  hope  his  own  undertakings  will  be  suc- 
cessful. Tne  prospectuses  have  not  come  to  hand, 
but  perhaps  Mr.  Cartwright  will  be  good  enough 
to  send  us  duplicat  s,  as  we  should  like  to  notice 
the  same  for  our  Tropical  Agriculturist.—  Ed.  T.A.] 
COCONUT  CULTIVATION  IN  THE 
WEST  INDIES : * 
Khviewed  by  a Ceylon  Coconut  Planter. 
Pamban,  May  8. 
Dear  Sir, — In  one  of  your  appreciative  reviews 
of  “ Nioholl’s  Tropical  Agriculture  ” you  say  you 
would  like  my  views  on  the  ohapter  on  the  coco- 
nut palm.  I am  not  muoh  of  a hand  at  reviewing, 
but  all  the  same  send  you  a few  notes.  The 
ohapter  on  coconuts  is  well  written  and  evidently 
by  one  oonversant  with  the  subject.  The  different 
* The  chapter  on  Coconuts  in  "Nicholl’s  Tropical 
Agriculture,”  (Macmillan,  Publishers.) 
uses  of  the  tree  and  its  products  are  well  described  ; 
and  the  directions  with  reference  to  soil,  climate, 
cultivation,  &o.,  are  good.  The  writer’s  views 
with  regard  to  the  best  soils  coincide  with  mine; 
and  no  doubt  whenever  ooconuts  are  grown  the 
same  kind  of  soil  in  each  locality  will  yield  pretty 
muoh  the  same  result,  rainfall  being  equal.  What- 
ever the  practice  may  be  in  the  West  Indies 
when  planting  inland,  putting  salt  into  the  hole, 
before  planting  is  not  resorted  to  in  the  East 
with  the  idea  of  supplying  the  absenoe  of  a saline 
atmosphere.  For  though  no  doubt  oooonuts  grow 
best  in  a maritime  climate,  yet  they  flourish 
well  inland,  and  do  Dot  seem  to  feel  the  absenoe 
of  the  salt  air.  Better  grown  and  more  prolifio 
trees  than  those  I saw  in  the  town  of  Badulla 
years  ago  I could  not  have  desired,  and  they 
grow  quite  50  miles  from  the  sea.  Balt  is  often 
put  into  the  holes  before  planting  in  land  badly 
infested  with  white  ants,  as  it  gives  the  plants 
a chance  of  fixing  their  roots  in  the  soil  before 
the  termites  oan  do  harm.  I have  begun  to  thmk 
that  too  muoh  stress  has  been  placed  upon  the 
necessity  of  salt  for  ooconut  palms.  It  the  trees 
are  grown  upon  good  land  in  a good  oondition 
of  tilth,  they  thrive  well  without  salt  ; but  if  the 
land  is  not  in  good  meohanioal  condition  the  ap- 
plication of  salt  then,  by  its  aotion  on  the  soil 
and  its  affinity  for  moisture,  improves  it,  and  sets 
free  and  makes  assimilable  ingredients,  which 
without  the  aotion  of  the  salt  would  have  lain 
dormant ; poor  soils,  however  muoh  salt  is  applied 
to  them  will  not  benefit  much  by  the  applications, 
The  ciroumstanoe  that  trees  nearest  the  shore 
bend  their  heads  towards  the  sea  is  not  proof  that 
it  is  because  they  love  the  sea  breezes.  The  faot 
is  that  the  cooonut  palm  loves  the  light,  and  will 
always  make  towards  it;  and  to  effeot  this  will, 
when  it  has  grown  sufficiently  tall  and  pliable  grow 
at  almost  any  angle.  Trees  bordering  any  open 
space  will  behave  in  the  same  way  as  those  border- 
ing the  sea. 
It  is  recommended  by  Dr.  Niobolls,  in  laying  down 
a nursery  that  50  per  oent  more  nuts  than  the  number 
of  plants  required  should  be  laid  down  in  the 
nursery ; this  seems  muoh  too  great  a margin, 
for  if  good  ripe  and  well  seleoted  nuts  are 
bowd,  there  will  seldom  be  more  than  10  to 
15  per  oent  failures,  It  is  evident  that 
greater  liberality  in  the  allotment  of  spaoe 
to  each  plant  is  sometimes  shown  in  the  West 
Indies  than  in  the  East,  where  it  is  too  often  the 
other  way ; 33  feet  between  eaoh  plant  Eounds 
extravagant ; but  25  feet  the  distanoe  recommended 
by  the  writer,  is  a very  good  average  distance.  The 
warning  not  to  allow  oattle  into  a youDg  estate  is  a 
very  necessary  one,  as  their  bite  is  poisonous  to 
oooonut  plants;  and  if  badly  bitten  the  only  remedy 
is  to  pull  them  up  and  put  in  others ; cattle  should 
not  be  allowed  in  till  the  plants  are  from  5 to  6 
years  old.  In  almost  every  oountry  where  oooonuts 
are  grown  oatoh  crops  seem  to  be  considered  a fair 
and  legitimate  thiDg  to  grow  till  the  trees  require 
all  the  spaoe  for  themselves  ; and  no  doubt  the 
profits  from  these  often  materially  help  the  man 
with  limited  oapital,  who  would  otherwise  not  be 
able  to  hold  out  till  the  trees  came  into  bearing ; 
but  the  writer’s  injunction  should  in  all  oases  be 
carried  out  in  alter  years  if  the  estate  is  to  yield 
profitably.  He  says  “ catch-crops,  suoh  as  maize, 
oassava,  potatoes,  and  such  like  may  be  taken  off 
the  land  when  alluvial  loams  are  planted  with 
coconuts,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  these 
orops  tend  to  impoverish  the  soil,  and  an  effort 
should  be  made  to  return  in  manure  what  has  been 
taken  away  by  the  oatoh  crops.”  If  this  is  so 
neoessary  where  rioh  soils  are  concerned)  how  much 
