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I'HE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Jan. 1, 190S. 
THE COCONUT OIL PUZZLE. 
Nov. 22. 
Dbab Sir, — You drew attention last week 
to the sudden drop in the valvxe of coconut 
oil by 25s in the London Market ; but you 
did not note the rise by 20s just before — I 
believe the day before. I have heard the 
remark, which I saw in print, confirmed by 
business-men wlio ought to know, that no 
one seems to understand the course of the Oil 
and Copra Market. Is not the price of copra 
much below what it ought to be, having re- 
gard to the price of oil, even after the drop ? 
We have drifted into the season of small 
crops, and yet the price of nuts seems to 
have receded, instead of advancing ; and 
notwithstanding the very heavy crops reported 
from all districts, the exports scarcely show 
any advance. Oil is ahead of the last four 
years, but copra and nuts in the shell are 
lagging behind.— Yours, PUZZLED. 
COCONUT CULTIVATION IN CEYLON. 
Dear Sir, — I do not intend appearing before 
the public as a teacher but as an earnest learner, 
and as one who has made a study of practical 
agriculture since he engaged in planting, twenty- 
eight years ago. 
It is an axiom in'Agriculture, to conform an 
nearly as possible with the natural conditions 
under which a product grows, when its cultiva- 
tion is engaged in. 
Now what are the natural conditions under 
which the coconut-palm grows ? Its original 
habitat was the sea shore on which the nuts 
were thrown by the action of currents and waves. 
The conditions, under which the tree grew and 
flourished, were on a free, sandy soil highly im- 
pregnated with salt and in an atmosphere that 
was salt-laden. 
The extent of land that answers these 
conditions is limited, and as the coconut industry 
is a sure and certain one, and does not partake 
of the nature of gambling as some other industries 
do, the cultivation of the palm is carried farther 
and farther away inland, and it is removed farther 
and farther away from the natural condition 
under which it grows. 
According to my thinking, the first and fore- 
most aim of the coconut planter should be under 
these altered conditions to conform as nearly as 
possible with the natural conditions under which 
the palm grows. Here he will find scope for the 
exercise of intelligence and ingenuity. If he has 
a stiff, clayey or gravelly soil to deal with, he 
eannot make it sandy ; but it is possible for him 
to naake the soil sufficiently free, to allow of the 
free passage of roots through it. The first oper- 
ation should be deep draining. The free passage 
or water and air through a stiff soil, will help 
to gradually alter its mechanical condition. An 
estate scored with drains, will have its transport 
arrangements interfered with. The drains should 
gradually be filled up with coconut branches and 
bushes, first along the line of a road The dram- 
age of the soil will nob be interfered with, by 
packing it with branches, till such time as the 
bushes are thoroughly decayed and forms, a com- 
pact mass. This will take many years, by wliich 
time, the roots of the palm will through the soil of 
of water saturated with decaying bushes cannot 
but add to its fertility. 
Another operation, as for more necessary than 
draining, is to keep the soil round the trees in a 
thorough state c f cultivation. If this can be un- 
dertaken when the plants are young, the benefit 
to the resulting trees will be very great. The 
large foraging roots will be helped to leave the 
surface of the ground and to obtain water for 
the use of the tree from the soil where it is 
permanently damp. Rain water will percolate 
through the soil, and there will always be mois- 
ture for the roots to draw upon in a season of 
drought. The feeding rootlets will have unre- 
stricted liberty and manuring operations in later 
years will not be costly. If the tilling of the 
soil should take place when an estate is young 
the circle tilled should be enlarged annually till 
8 or 10 feet radius be reached. I am inclined to 
the opinion that with tins surface round a tree 
kept in thorough cultivation by tilling and manur- 
ing, ploughing will not become a necessity. 
Where tilling of the ground round trees is 
undertaken in later years, I would suggest a 
complete turning over of the soil, so that the rank 
growth of grass, always to be found on a heavy 
soil, be turned into the soil. The benefits of 
green manuring will be attained by this. This 
will of necessity result in the cutting of the roots 
of the tree. Some people object to this, and 
think it will be harmful to the tree to injure the 
roots. The harm will be temporary, the gain from 
the operation of tiling will be enduring, I do- 
not feel any s(jueamishness in injuring the roots 
of the coconut palm. Observation will show that 
the bole of the tree is constantly putting out 
new roots to replace those that are injured, which 
generally die. 
I am of opinion that the roots of the coco- 
palm have no functions to perform on the surface 
of the soil, and that they are there by reason of 
the mechanical condition of the soil not permitting 
them to be where they should be, deep down below 
the surface of the ground performing the function 
of pumps. A coco-palm has no tap-root, and the 
main roots, I am inclined to think, perform all the 
functions of the tap-root. Observation induced 
this belief in me. The lateral or main roots of 
trees, generally spread out parallel with the 
surface of the soil and horizontally. The main- 
roots of the coconut tree have a downward direc- 
tion, and in a sandy soil, as in its natural 
habitat, they generally go deep down into th 
ground. They are found on the surface, only 
when the condition of the soil does not permit 
them to go where nature intended they should be. 
I think it is for this reason — want of sufficient 
moisture — that the branches and fronds of young 
trees growing on stiff soil, hang down as a rule, 
while the exception is to find it in a sandy soil, 
where when it does occur, it is in a different degree. 
When roots are to be found on the surface of the 
soil, I think it is evidence that that soil has not 
been regularly cultivated and is crying out to be. 
Observation shews us, that the butt-end of the 
mid ribs of the fronds of the coco-palm is shaped 
like a spout. During a shower of rain, these 
catch the rain-water, and a stream runs down the 
stem or near it. I look upon this as a provision 
of nature to supply the tree with the large 
quantity of water it requires. The aim of the 
intelligent cultivator is to store up what nature 
provides. This is done by thoroughly tilling the 
ground round the coconut tree and where the 
ground slopes, levelling the surface, The necessity 
