4t8- THE TROPICAL 
or two on Bait per diem 1 A practical Government 
would have answered these questions with a decided 
and emphatic negative. Besides, those who applied 
for the sait were ready to pay for a watcher, to 
be supplied by the Governmeat, to see that the salt 
was used for no other purpose than agricul- 
tural. 
The Government is sufficiently practical and en- 
lightened to carry manures in their railways at 
reduced rates and to levy no tolls on manures, on 
the principle that bread oast upon the waters will 
return to it after many days, in the shape of increased 
produce. But it is not prepared to apply the same 
principle to the issues of salt at special rates for 
agricultural purposes. 
As I am very strongly of opinion that salt is an 
absolute necessity in coconut cultivation, especially 
in inland districts having a heavy soil, I started 
an agitation for its issue at special rates, about 
fifteen years ago. It was met by the stereotyped reply. 
Of the benefits of its use in coconut cultivation, one 
reads occasionally in the papers of the experiments 
being carried out by Dr. Dias at Henaratgoda. 
It was argued by Dr. Trimen at the time of my 
agitation, that as analyses showed that the coco-palm 
yielded but a small quantity of salt, and as this small 
quantity was very likely deposited during the mon- 
soons, salt was not so great a necessity for coconut 
cultivation as I wanted to make oat. I think his 
reasoning was fallacious. The quantity of any in- 
organic matter in any product, should not determine its 
necessity or otherwise. Besides, salt has other 
properties than manurial. It acts chemically and 
mechanically on a soil. It keeps the soil moist by 
absorbing the moisture of the atmosphere. It acts 
as a solvent and renders available the insoluble 
plant-food in a soil. Lime does not occur largely 
in vegetation, yet soils are limited to improve 
their chemical and mechanical condition. Dr. 
thhimen was evidently misled by Lepine's analytical 
rtbles. Cochran, a few years ago, showed that they 
were wrong as regards the quantity of salt in the 
husks of the coconut. He was also surprised to find 
that the husks of a coconut grown on an estate at 
Kurunegala yielded more salt than in one grown 
on the sea shore at Kollnpitiya. 
Of all coconut planters, the late Mr. Davidson was, 
perhaps, the most intelligent and the one best versed 
in Agricultural Chemistry. His pupil, Mr. Jardine, 
is a worthy successor of his. lie wrote in 1861 : — 
" A tree requires annually 1*34 lb. salt and 9-79 lb. 
potash (according to Lepine's analyses), yet the larger 
amount may be less essential its welfare than the 
smalldr quantity, because this possesses properties 
which the other has not, and for the want of which 
nothing else will compensate. The weight of salt re- 
quired, compared with the other in organic matter, 
does not exhibit fairly its relative value as a manure. 
Here (Jaffna) day aftei day may be seen strings of 
carts, creeping from the beach to the estates, laden 
with sea weed, For the sake of the salt it contains, 
we drive a cart-load of matter, which we could 
obtain much nearer home and at a little of the cost, 
because our Rulers persistently refuse to allow us, 
at the price they sell it for exportation, to purchase 
that salt for our estates, which it, sometimes, costs 
htmdreds of pounds to destroy. The following offer 
was made to Government Parties to get salt at 
export price, would adulterate it with matter best 
adapted to render it unfit for culinary purposes, in 
the Government stores. They would enter into a 
pen.alty bond to the full value of the salt, at the 
market price, that it should be used solely as a 
manure for coconut trees and they would pay for a 
Government employee, who should certify to its 
application as specified. We deserve, perhaps, that 
our wants should be disregarded, for I do not re- 
member that coconut planters have ever combined 
to have them fairly represented, With more of 
AGRICULTURIST. [Jan. 1, 1903. 
unity and combination in our efforts, we should 
doubtless command success." 
Possibly at the time Mr. Davidson wrote the 
above, coconut estates regularly cultivftted existed 
only in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. 
Though the cultivation of the palm and the opening of 
estates have increased by leaps and bounds since 
then, the deplorable want of unity and combina- 
tion which he then bewailed, still exists. If so 
shrewd and intelligent a planter as Mr. Davidson 
thought salt a necessity in coconut cultivation, and 
placed so high a value on it, even on the sea-borde, 
surely I was right when I, ignorant of his opinion, 
advocated the use of salt for coconut cultivation, 
especially in inland districts. 
To those who are ignorant of the fact, it will cause 
much surprise to bo told that contractors supply the 
Government with salt at 125-35 cents the owt. They 
re-sell it wholesale for local consumption at R2"36 the 
cwt., and for export for a little above cost price. 
Why strangers should be treated better than her own 
children. I have never been able to find out ? Nor 
why the Government should prefer to export salt and 
even to wickedly destroy so useful a product, rather 
than to sell it at export rates to agriculturists, when 
it will result in increased crops, increased circulation of 
money, and increased revenue to Government, by 
the increased consumption of dutiable articles, 
increased traffic on railways, roads and canals, and 
increased duty on exports. Will not some member 
of Council again take the matter up ? It appeals 
specially to the Planting and Ceylonese members. 
Salt can be denaturalised at any one of our manure 
works by the addition of incinerator ashes, and some 
offensive smelling manure such as guano. Ceylonese 
know that only the lowest caste of natives can be 
induced to work at conservancy (with apologies to 
Mr. Hemming). If once it be known that salt used 
for manurial purposes is mixed with matter from 
latrines, not only will no one be so depraved as to 
attempt to use it for culinary purposes, but it will be 
difficult to get any one but pariah caste coolies to 
handle it. I feel certain that if Revenue OfScera 
with a knowledge of the people and their preju- 
dices be appealed to, they will unanimously give 
it as their opinion that the probabilities of salt 
denaturalised as I suggest, being used for culinary 
purposes are extremely remote. If salt be available 
at cheap rates, its use will gradually extend, till it 
assumes very large proportions. When one's neighbours 
see the benefits arising from its use, they will gradually 
follow suit. If nursery plants, before being put out, 
are steeped in brine, they become immune from the 
attack of white ants, and turn out healthier and 
stronger plants. If a small quantity of salt be sprinkled 
in coconut holes, insects are destroyed. If a suffi- 
ciency of salt be used to impregnate the soil, the 
plants will be able to resist droughts, as the impreg- 
nated soil will absorb moisture from the atmosphere. 
If salt be applied to coconut plants of larger growth 
and to trees, the soil is kept moist and free, If 
mulched simultaneously, the capillarity of the soil ia 
increased and evaporation lessened, so that droughts 
will not seriously affect them. Salt, as stated before, 
is a solvent. When the soil is moist and the plant- 
food is rendered soluble, rootlets will be performing 
their functions of feeding, continuously. B. 
♦ ■ 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Cacao Enemies.— We learn that owing, 
probably, to the prolonged wet weather, 
there has been a recrudescence of disease- 
canker, fungus, etc. —among the cacao trees on 
several estates. North .md South of Randy. 
We trust the trouble will shortly disappear ag 
the dry weather sets iq, 
