Sept. 1, 1899.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
171 
time enough to call out for a little outlay 
on manure. For nine weary years, it was 
all expenditure on Toynbee without a cent 
of return. We are not at liberty at present 
to quote figures of outlay; but we may 
shew how the 
CROPS 03^ NUTS 
have increased since the trees began to bear. 
The seasons coimt from July to June 
and in 1895-96 came the first pluckings 
Avoithy of notice aggTegating a crop of 
83,788 nuts (22 nuts were gathered in 
June 1894, and 1,511 between that 
month and May 1895). The oldest 
trees were under 7i years at the end of 
season 1895-6. The rise then may be given 
as follows : — 
Season. Age. Crop nuts. 
1895- 6 ... 7 years ... 33,788 
1896- 7 ... 8 „ ... 108,372 
1897- 8 ... 9 „ ... 200,125 
1898- 9 ... 10 „ ... 296,000 
It is reckoned that little more than 6,000 
trees on an average contributed to the last 
crop giving a retvirn of say 49 nuts per 
tree ; while, altogether, Toynbee should have 
10,000 trees and plants of all ages growing, 
so that a large proportion has yet to come 
into bearing. But what about the "staying" 
character of the soil, it may be asked ? 
Well, there is nothing in the appearance 
of the heaviest-bearing trees (and from some 
as many as 70 to 80 nuts have been got, 
in this last May-June plucking alone) to 
indicate any failure, or approach to failure, 
in regard to means of sustenance. The 
palms are all green and vigorous, although 
with few exceptions — to be noted hereafter 
- they have had little or no manure. One 
evidence of the neglect and suffering of 
1891-2-3 is very evident throughout one or 
two fields in the irregular stems of the 
palms — the shrinking and less circumference 
noticeable^at mid-height, no doubt indicating 
the check and loss of proper feeding which 
they sustained during the years when the 
plantains were allowed their own sweet 
will, as well as the weeds and beetles. 
Nevertheless, Toynbee, as a whole, is a 
most encouraging picture of a ten to eleven 
year old 
• LOWCOUNTRY COCONUT PLANTATION, 
covering, we , may say, 166 acres, all 
planted. It is by no means such a model 
of neat, almost perfect cultivation, as is 
Mr. W. H. Wright's far-famed Mirigama 
estate ; but in crops, we suppose, it will, 
so far, compare with any plantation, we, 
at least, have ever heard of, with authentic 
crop returns in Ceylon. Still, let no one 
suppose that anything like big net returns 
are even now being got by the proprietors. 
The accounts have not yet been closed ; 
but even with a crop of 300,000 nuts from, 
say, the equivalent of 100 acres, the outlay 
on the whole 166 will not leave 
A PROFIT 
exceeding R25 per acre probably, which 
would be laughed to scorn by certain of our 
"tea" friends with their RlOO or even 
£10 sterling per acre of profit. 
Bvit there sho\ild be a future before 
Toynbee, more especially now that the era for 
MANURING 
has arrived. This was begun in November 
1898 on certain selected plots of about four 
acres each, in different fields — two plots to 
each kind of manure and six plots in all. 
First, we have an artificial manure — 
"Baur's special fertiliser"- 61b. per tree 
being applied in two marked plots (situated 
in two different parts of the est;i te) : Hccond, 
another but even stronger (in nitrogen) 
artificial preparation from Mr. Baur (who 
owns the adjoining fine Palugaswewa coconut 
property), of -14 11). per tree and this was applied 
on two plots imder similar conditions ; while. 
Thirdly, 31b. bone-meal and 61b. castor-cake 
per tree were applied over exactly similar 
plots. No examination of results or proper 
comparison can be made, it is thought, 
much under two years from the time of 
application. Some useful data ought then, 
however, to be available, as the crop for 
each plot (number of trees and yield) is 
being carefully recorded. 
The only other manuring attempted was 
over a few acres by village cattle, two or 
three years ago ; and in 1896 ten ewes and 
a ram were secured as the beginning of an 
experiment in 
SHEEP 
manuring. These bred up to 50 (besides sales 
of several rams at about R9 each*) when 
an epidemic broke oiit and reduced the stock 
to 35. The great advantage is that sheep 
do not touch young coconut plants, while 
thej' keep down grass, cost nothing ; but the 
herding, and, of course, their manure was 
of service. Now, however, that nearly all 
the supplies are out of danger, it is intended 
to begin a stock of Sinhalese or cross- 
bred 
CATTLE 
getting up to 60 or 70 head from a nucleus 
of a dozen, as there is ideally good pasture 
between the rows of palms and a couple of 
cattle can be reckoned to manure effectively 
an ,acre quite in a year. It will be in- 
structive to w.atch the result over 20 or 30 
acres, and compare it with the plots arti- 
ficially treated. 
One curious feature in Toynbee is the excep- 
tionally numerous bunches of nuts on the 
young trees which require 
TO BE SUPPORTED BY FORKED STICKS 
with the other end pointed and fixed against 
the stem of the tree. Quite a constant work 
this has become for two or three Sinhalese 
men, and blame is cast on Mr. Miller for 
not leaving one or two aci'es of jungle from 
which such sticks could be cut, in place 
now of having to bviy the same — a warning 
to other young planters ! As the trees get 
older, it is expected they will be able to 
bear their heaviest bunches unsupported. 
Everything points to estates in the Raja- 
kadaluwa district being in their prime 
between their 15th and 18th years. Unfor- 
tunately the oldest (Mr. Miller's place) which 
* Mr. Wright of Mirigama presented Toynbee 
with one of his young cross-bred rams which, de- 
veloping a tremendous pair of horns, has become 
rather a nuisance through his love of constant 
butting, none of the others being, of course, able 
to stand against him ! 
