V82 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [May 1, 1900. 
at night, spread evenly the droppings in a 6 foot 
radius ana scatter upon this 31b. finely grow;n 
bone dust and 41b. white castor-cake, then dig 
to a depth of six to eight inches, mixing the 
soil and manures in the process ; upon this dug- 
surface sprinkle 8 to 12 lb. good wood ashes and 
rake lightly in. The object of applying the ashes on 
the surf&ee is to allow of the soluble potash being 
absorbed by the soil, in its passage down with 
the rain water, before it can get below the reach 
of the feeding rootlets. Where cattle are not 
available for tying to the trees, good chekku yard 
manure or white castor-cake must be used. 
I have seen good results follow the applica- 
tion of lime to reclaimed swamp and low-lying 
land, and on lands containing much marl and 
clay. Its cost, however, in some districts 
prevents its bsing used to any great e.xtent. 
With reference to the insufficient amount of 
potash in the mixture I recommend, I would 
point out that. the husks are never allowed to 
be removed from the land, but are carted out 
to the field, and the quantity of husks removed 
from the average field of nuts per tree per an- 
num are burnt between every four trees ; thus 
the potash removed from the soil by the husks 
is each year returned to it, and it is only neces- 
sary to add what has been removed in the 
kernels, water and shells, and the quantity I 
allow, Mr. Cochran says, slightly exceeds this. 
Where husks are removed, or where they are 
burnt in large heaps and the ashes applied to 
only a few hundred trees, as is too often the 
practice, the quantity of ashes or potash in some 
other form, equal to what is removed in the 
husks, should be added. 
Mr. Cochran's analyses refer only co the man- 
urial ingredients removed in the crops of nuta, 
but takes no account of what is taken up by the 
roots, stem and leaves of the tree for their main- 
tenance in health and vigour. My experience 
has taught me that when an estate has been 
at all neglected, or where the soil is a hungry 
one, a very large proportion of the manures of 
the first and second application, goes to build 
up tlie trees and fit them to bear crops ; 
and even after the trees are in full vigour, a 
certain proportion of the manures of subsequent 
applications, must go to keep them in that 
condition ; so that when manuring is first begun 
upon an estate it would be well, in the first 
and second applications, to allow one-third more 
than woula be necessary afterwards, 
Never having applied sale to coconut trees I 
cannot speak as to its value. If it really is a 
necessary ingredient in the successful cultivation 
of the coconut tree then nature, in her chemical 
laboratory, is able to produce it from substances 
existing in the soil, else how is it that we find 
trees flom 40 to 60 miles inland gro.ving and 
cropping better than most of those within the 
influence of the sea breeze ? Salt, like lime, I 
believe to be a solvent of animal and vegetable 
substances in the soil and a destroyer of vermin 
and weeds, but that it is a manure, in the true 
sense, I doubt. 
I have never known any estate in Ceylon where 
the trees have 90 nuts" each, per annum, over 
any extent of land, even with high cultivation ; 
and I mucli doubt if there is any such estate in 
Ceyioi.. ]f tiiere is, I would go a long distance 
to see it. I admit that under exceptionally 
favourable conditions theie are fields, even up to 
100 acres, which produce 90 nnts per tree and 
even more ; but those are exceedmgly rare. It 
is a very general practice with native owners of 
coconut property when asked as to the yield per 
acre to reply that they get so many nuts at a 
picking, and they are sure to name the largest 
number gathered at any one picking. Now this 
is very misleading, as no two pickings are alike. 
If the two largest pickings of an estate for the 
year are, say, 100,000 nuts each, the next largest 
will be about 70,000, and the remaining three will 
be say, from about 30,000 to 40,000 each picking. 
Messrs. Freudenberg and Baur have introduced 
several manures which have not been much in 
use until recently, but are now having a fair trial. 
It would be interesting and useful if either of 
these firms would supply us with the information 
as to the money value of the unit of nitrogen, 
potash and phosphoric acid in their manures as 
compared with its value in white castor-cake, 
bone dust and wood ashes. W. J. 
COCONUTS IN MATALE. 
Awliscombe Estate, Matale, April 11. 
Sir, — Coconut planters have been much inter- 
ested in the articles appearing in your esteemed 
paper, on the subject of coconut cultivation. The 
district of Matale, though famed for cacao, has not 
yet drawn the attention it deserves in the matter 
of coconut cultivation. This estate, situated on 
the North Koad six miles from Matale, was 
planted with coconuts and tea in the latter end 
of 1896. It was abandoned in the middle of last 
year and purchased by Mr. C. M. Fernando two 
months ago, since when I have been in charge. 
A palm, which thekanakkapuUe, who was in charge 
tells me, was planted just three years and five 
months ago, is in bloom, and contains three separate 
bunches and two flowers. Other trees give pro- 
mise of an early blossom. The plants came from 
Veyangoda and were from six to eight months old 
when laid down — the estate was never manured 
and the land was originally in chena. Does ic 
not seem as if Matale North is deserving the 
attention of those interested in the staple product 
of the island 1 — I remain, sir, yours faithfully, 
LEO. P. FERNANDO. 

MINOK PRODUCTS REPORT. 
Cinnamon. — In auction 26 packages Ceylon offered 
and part sold at 8d per pound for coarse and 6d 
for low. Of "wild" bark 621 packages offered, and 
200 sold— thick bark IJd to Ifd, broken quill |d. 
and thin quill l|d to 2id per lb. Chips and bark 
dull of sile. 
CiNTBONELLA OiL,— The market is easier inclined 
aince the auction sale of last week. It is reported 
that lOJd per pound c. i.f., has been refused this 
week for drums, lid being wanted. In cases ll|d 
is quoted on the spot. 
Lemongkass Oil. — Dull of sale at 2^3 to 3d per 
ounce spot, — Chemist and Druggist March 24. 
RAINFALL RETURN FOR COLOMBO. 
(Supplied by the Surveyor-General.) 
1895. 
1S9G. 
1897. 
1898. 
1899. 
Av of 
3Gyrs. 
1900. 
January . . 
February . . 
March 
April 
May 
June 
July 
August 
September 
October . . 
November.. 
December. . 
Inch. 
5-00 
0- 31 
1- 84 
9-34 
10-09 
13-39 
0-5-2 
0-92 
4- 09 
30-36 
5- 83 
9-44 
Inch 
2-92 
0-35 
5-64 
5-93 
9-31 
5- 37 
2-85 
6- 35 
10-99 
10- 78 
19. Si 
11- 76 
Inch 
3-81 
1-68 
3- 66 
10-97 
8 - SO 
10- 14 
b-2i 
9 - 09 
4- 5S 
4-71 
11 - e*; 
8-89 
Inch 
2-32 
1-98 
4- 21 
22-81 
5 - SO 
10-94 
6- 15 
0-ft7 
6-90 
20-60 
17-38 
S-05 
Inch. 
6-98 
2-78 
0-88 
6-66 
17-73 
9-23 
I'll 
0- 62 
1- 4S 
12 99 
S-58 
4-44 
Inch. 
3- 22 
1-93 
4- 78 
11- 31 
12- 09 
8-37 
4- 38 
3-67 
5- 01 
14-52 
12-66 
6- S9 
Inch. 
3-72 
0-63 
3-71 
15-12 
4 96' 
Total.. 
92-23 
101-06 
82-73 
103-11 
73-4S 
88-33 
2d -14 
♦ From 1st to 2ncl May 4-96 inches that is up to 9-30 a.m 
on 2ncl May.— Ed, T,A. 
