142 
$upptemnt t& the "Tropical AgricuUurist." [Au«i 1, 1902^ 
betel from a two-year old garden are plauted 
between, two to each tree, to which they are tied 
•with plantain fibre when sufficiently grown. 
(There the -vines are apparently well supplied with 
animal manure half-yearly. At the end of the 
first year the leaves are picked daily for about 
16 months in good and well-manured soil. The best 
monthly yield per acre is put down at 25 bundles 
(of hundred leaves each) worth Es. 30, or for the 
16 months of the crop Rs. 480, 
It would appear that in the N, C. Province 
betel cultivation is confined to a special class or 
"brotherhood of old standing," forming an inde- 
pendent section in the village who pay their rent 
to the landowner through the head of their 
body. A portion of the village lands is recog- 
nised 08 belonging to this caste, and in this they 
dig wells, make their gardens, and, being careful 
and steady cultivators, contribute much to the 
general prosperity of the neighbourhood. 
The cultivation of betel would thus be considered 
an honourable pursuit over in India ; but wonder- 
ful to relate there are dangers to be faced, for we 
read that in the Central Province, tigers fully 
appreciate the cool and grateful shade afforded by a 
betel garden in the hot months, and the cultivators 
on going to work, not unfrequently find one of 
these animals entangled in the maze of creepers. 
But even the Ceylon villager will smile when 
he is told that in the neighbouring Continent, 
■when the plant is young and delicate, it is some- 
times fed with milk which is found to be an 
excellent manure." No doubt ! 
Regarding the "betel brotherhood" we are 
told they are so industries and so respected, that 
landholders allow them many privilege?. Thus 
custom has prescribed that no rent is to be 
demanded during the time the land remains un- 
cultivated. Rent, too, is only paid in the exact 
quantity of laud sown. Though all the members 
of the caste give their labour towards the con- 
struction of the garden, and share in expenses of 
watering, weeding, watching, &c., yet each 
individual is the owner of' a portion of the 
garden, the produce of which he himself gathers 
and disposes of on his own account, and each 
has an independent interest in the undertaking. 
In the Central Province the vines are not kept 
after the second year when the ground is allowed 
to go fallow for from 2 to 3 years according to 
the soil. But in Nimar a garden well established 
)s said to yield steadily for 10 or 12 years. 
Here the shade trees to which the vines are 
attached consist of Sesbania JEc/yptka (Tamil, 
Chittakatti) a tree which shoots up rapidly and 
affords good shade for 2 or 3 years, while the 
plantation is surrounded not, as in other parts, 
■with plantains, but with poles of Eythrina indica 
Erabodu) When the Sesbania trees die down, they 
are replaced by poles of Bosivellia serrata of which 
the bark is believed to give a specially favourable 
hold to the climber. Every year after the leaves 
have been gathered the creeper is coiled down at 
the root until only some 3 feet of it are left 
above the ground ; a fresh root is thus struck and 
the old coil is next year cut away altogether. 
Except during the rains the crop is steadily 
irrigated, aud at tlie beginning of eagU hot season 
the plant is pruned, manured and freshened up 
with transported soil. The level of the land 
thus become raised about 2 feet in the 10 or 12 
years. 
The above system is said to be preferable to 
the ordinary method, entailing less labour, less 
retardation of profit, and with the annual supply 
of fresh earth should i^roduce as good a yield. It 
is practically the same method, combined with 
artificial shade, followed in Bengal and other 
places where cultivation is extensivelj' carried on. 
In many parts the betel plantation is covered 
on all sides with bamboo and mat work. 
We shall have more to say on this subject in 
subsequent issues. 
THE PROPER METHOD OF PLANTING 
TREES. 
In an article on "Planting" by Mr, A, Des- 
peissis, to the Journal of the Department of Agri- 
culture, Western Australia, the writer gives many 
useful hints on the subject, which we reproduce 
for the benefit of our readers. 
After marling off to ensure straight planting the 
holes are dug at the required distances. Holes 
for fruit-trees should be wide enough to admit of 
the spread of the roots : the wider the better. 
In heavy and retentive soil the holing should not 
be deeper than the drained layer of soil, otherwise 
the hole would act as o basin. Many trees are 
killed through the roots decaying instead of 
growing in a healthy condition. 
Before digging the holes, and to insure that the 
tree will occupy the exact spot the stakes were in, 
a simple contrivance known as the "tree-setter" 
is of great use. It consists of a light piece of 
board 1 inch thick, 4 inches wide, and 4 to 5 feet 
long. Cut a V-shaped notch in the centre and 
either bore a hole I5 inches in diameter 3 inches 
from each end, or instead of the holes cut 
notches at each end of the board. 
To use the tree-setter, the V-shaped notch is 
put against the stake which marks the spot the 
tree is to occupy. Through the hole at each end 
or in the notches, drive into the ground pegs 1 to 
1^ inches in diameter and 12 to 15 inches long 
that will easily pass through the holes. This 
being done, remove the central stake, lift the 
board over the terminal pegs which are left in 
the ground and dig the hole. When planting 
replace the tree-setter over the two pegs, and 
place the stem so that it will occupy exactly tha 
spot the stake occupied before. 
The hole should be three feet square, convex 
in the centre or of the shape of an inverted saucer. 
This is done by heaping up some loose surface 
soil, so that when the tree is planted its base 
stands a little higher than the roots which 
spread out evenly round, radiating outwards 
with a slight dip downwards. 
In the case of a hard impenetrable bed it is 
recommended that the bottom layer in the hole 
should be shattered by means of cartridges of 
dynamite or 1^ lb, charge? of black blasting 
powder rammed into holes two inches ia 
diapieter bored through th^ bar(i pao, By thi; 
