308 THE TROPICAL AGUICULTITRIST. [Nov. 2, 1903. 
by the author literally signifies pods, bat obviously 
the fingers are meaat}. The quantity of potash, there- 
lore which is exported is enormoas. and M. Dagast, 
who bas sought to detertniae it for Algeria has arrived 
at figures which are considerable. (Revue des Cultures 
Coloniales, 1902, pp. 193 to pp. 199.) L-fitrogen and 
phosphoric acid have a lesser importance, and the 
bananar is characterised, from the staadpoiut of its 
requirements, by the need of very great supplies of 
potash. The composition of the soil in variable in an 
eminent degree according to its origin. Generally 
speaking tropical soils give on obemical analysis, high 
figures for potasa and low ones for nitrogeti and phos- 
phoric acid. Bat the sails of Central America, of 
Madeira, imporcmt centres in the production of 
banana;, and those of Qainea, where this cultivation 
has been recently introduced, are equally deprived of 
potash. 
According to these data, the banana requires' a com- 
plete manure, bringing to the soil at the same time 
nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, with pcedomi- 
nahce of the last named element. We are happy to 
find ourselves on this point in perfect agreement with 
the views of JVI. Dngast on the one part, and on the 
other part, with those of M. Tsisaonnier, Chief of the 
Agricultural Service of French Guinea, who has studied 
very closely on its own ground the minuring of ihe 
banana. M. Teissonnier nas been good enough to com 
mnnicate to us in these terms the result of his observa- 
tions : — 
"I have arrived at establishing a good formula for the 
banana, in which the potassic element piedominates ; 
1 expect to publish in a short time a notice on this 
subject when my experiments are finished." 
Most frequently the dead leaves and stems of the 
banana are used as manure ; in these it is thought 
that the greater part of the elements removed from 
the soil are restored to it; but the usefal effect, of 
this vegetable matter is very feeble, on account of 
the slowness of its decomposition, and it is prefer, 
able, according to the auttioritative advice of Semler- 
to make oomposts of tham in mixing them with ashes, 
lime, farm-yard manure, etc., and to allow them to 
rot during a year, — still it will be necessary to add 
potash and phosphoric acid in which tbey are deficient. 
'Xhe guanos, generally employed at the Azores and 
in the Uanary Islands, the oil-cakes and tbe fish 
manure employed in India, are equally insufficient, 
and ought also to be made complete by the addition 
of potassic and phosphated manures. 
Some excellent results have been obtained in Madeira 
in a volcanic soil, poor in potash and in phosphoric 
acid, but rich in nitrogen and better provided with 
carbonate of lime than the greater part of tropical 
soils, by the application of a complete manure, 
testing : — 
, 'Nitrogen .. 13 per cent, 
"masn .. .. 20 
'Phosphoric acid - . 16 „ 
This manure which is a mixture of very concentrated 
aad very soluble products is applied in the proportion 
of 5^ grammes per plane, equal to 1 i oance in a trench 
made about eighteen .inches around the stem. The 
application of this manure is made twice a year, so 
tnat each plant receives in all lOJ grammes of the 
mixture (3 i ounces) 
To us this quantity appears too little, also that 
it would ba to tne interest uf the planter to strengthen 
atill more the proportion of potash in the complete 
manure by giving the whole of the nitrogen under 
an organic form, as oil-cake, gaauos, fijh mauure, 
farm-yard manure, composts, etc. 
We advise the trial of a manure testing 
"'V^ i^oiwli" ; .. 20 per cent. 
' ^hoapb6ric acid . . 10 „ 
. , Ihia manure can be very easily prepared by . mixing 
{oi manuring a hectare planted with 1,500 plants :— 
Kqual to tiuO plants per acreJ. 400 kilos of sulpaat^ 
of potash, containing 50 per cent, of potash. 600 kilos 
of mineral superphosphate, or the same quantity of 
basic slag, which wjula furnish at the same time lime 
and phosphoric acid. 
To reduce the expense of transport, there would be 
equally an advantage in giving the phosphoric acid in 
tne form of superphosphate containing 45 per cent, 
of phosphoric acid ; there would then be required 240 
kilogrammes per hectare. 
(These quantities, reduced to English v(eights and 
measures, would be as follows : — 400 kilos of sulphate 
of potash per bectare are eqiial to SS pounds, and 
this is equal tj 344 pounds per acre. Six hundred 
kilos of mineral superphosphite are equal to 1,300 
pounds per hectare, and this is eqaal to 530 pounds 
per acre ; 240 kilos of the stronger superphosphate, 
generally known as Professor Wagner's " double phos- 
phate," IS eqaal to 628 pounds per nectare, represented 
by 211 :2 poaods par acre. 1 take the standsrd ad- 
opted by Professor Crookes in his translation of the 
famous work on Obemical manures by George Ville.) 
The mixture can be easily made without there being 
any fear of loss of fertilising materials. It should be 
employed in the proportion of 4U0 or 600 grammes 
per plant, according as the preference may be given 
to the doable superphosphate or to the common kind. 
(Equal to 14 oz,, and to i lb , 5 oz., respectively.) 
Care must be^^takeu to place tne manure in a trenoh 
made aroand the stem, in avoiding to place it in direct 
contact with the latter, so as to prevent accidents. 
This manure costs at the maximum 200 francs per 
hectare, about one penny-half-penny per plant 
without coanting the nitrogeuoud manures. It is a 
very small expense, which will be largely compen- 
sated by the regularity of and increased yield in the 
crops. 
(Considering that the bauina is a herbaceous plant, 
and that like all herbaceous plants, it require nitrates 
in the early stages of its growth, the translator, cul- 
tivating a few specimens 01 tiie Chinese banana (Muaa 
Cavendishii) sets out two closely-planted circles of the 
cow-bean ( Vigna sinensis) aroujd each banana so aa 
to furnish the nitrates that may be required on dig- 
ging in the beans at the period of flowering. Doubtless 
tbe leguminous plants, bo plentiful in their variety 
in Jamaica, would be of essential service, if not in 
rotation, at least as an auxiliary and ameliorating 
crop in the cultivation of bananas). — James Neish, 
M.l)., in Joarnal of the Jamaica Agrlcultaral Society. 
— Indian Flmting and Gardening. 
COCONUT CULTIVATION, 
Coconut cultivation is the subject of a pamphlet 
biiiletin issaed by the Philippine Bureau of Agri- 
culture. The histOLy and botany of Cocos nucifera is 
discussed, also its various uses such as the copra 
and coconut oil,j coir, tuba, etc. The portion deal- 
ing with cultivation is instruotive. That the coconut 
will grow and thrive upon the immediate seashore, in 
common with other plants, is simply an inJioation 
of its adaptibility to environment. That it is at a 
positive disadvantage as a shore plant may be 
determined conclusively by anyone who will examine 
the root system of a seaajiore-growu tree upturned 
by a wash or tidal wave, and one uprooted from 
any cause, farther inland. It will be seen that the root 
system of the maritime plant is immensely larger 
than the other, and that a oorrespouding amount 
of energy has been expended in the search through 
much inert material to forage for the neoefeSary 
plant food which the more favoured inland speeiea 
has found concentrated within a smaller zone. 
A THOEOUGHLY PERMEABLE BOIL BECJUIRED. 
The planting must be made in B thoroughly -perme- 
able soil. The thick, fleshy roots of the newly 
upturned palm are loaded with water, and teir -na 
that an inexhaustible store 6f thia fiaid ia an ihdis- 
penaable element of aacoeaB.' If farther evidence of 
