154 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sei'T. 2, 1901. 
THE COCO-NUT.— INvSECT ATTACKS 
AND THE VITALITY OB^ 
PLANTS &., &c., 
BR. BACHOFEU'S ANALYSIS OF THE COCONUT- 
Total weight in lbs. 
Do. in per i 
Husk. Shell, Kernel. Milk- 
Pure ash in per ceut 
(;ontaining viz : — 
Silica Si Oo 
Oxide of iron and alumina, 
[Fe,, O3 AL0O3 ... 
Lime, O 
Magnesia Mg O 
t Potash K2 O ... 
Soda Naj O ... . . 
f Pot ssium chloride KCL 
Sodium chloride Na CL ., 
Phosphoric acid P 2 O 5 ... 
S ilphurio acid So^ 
2-702 
0-516 
0-875 
0-593 
57 28 
1159 
18-54 
12-58 
(;5-5t> 
r. 20 
52-80 
31"44 
84-80 
47-20 
103 
0 2J 
0-79 
0-38 
8-22 
4-64 
1-31 
2-95 
0.54 
1-39 
0-59 Trace. 
4 14 
6-26 
3-10 
7 43 
2 19 
1-32 
1-93 
3-97 
30-71 
45-01 
45-84 
8 62 
3-1'J 
15-42 
13-04 
41-09 
15-66 
5-01 
26 3-2 
1-92 
4-64 
20-33 
5-69 
3 13 
5-75 
8-79 
3 94 
100-00 
99 99 
99-99 
10000 
■l-Coutaining total 
potash K2O ... 30 71 45 01 64-05 34-54 
• Containing nitrogon N ... 0 137 0 100 0 504 
Thu^oflbe more important ingredients of the soil 
1,000 nuts remove tlie following: — 
In Lbs. Husk. Shell. Keunel. Milk. Total 
LBS. 
Nitrogen N . . 3 7017 G"5460 4 4100 ... 8 6577 
Pliosphoric 
acid P O .. 0 81,56 0-0735 I'lOSS 0-1279 2-4523 
Potash KjO ... 13'5255 0 7127 3-7362 0 77^3 18 7527 
Lime Ca O ... 1'8234 0-U991 0-2143 0 1674 2 3042 
Sodium 
chloride 
Na CL ... 20-2375 0 2464 0-3563 0-5431 21-4233 
Ic will be seen that sodium cldofide is found in the 
Coco-nut at 21 lb. to 1,000 nuts, and shows therefore 
that common salt should enter largely into all 
manurial material applied to this tree. One of the 
beat and cheapest methods of applying this is to use 
the waste pickle of the salt provision stores, such as 
that from herring and poi-k barrels, &c. Other 
constituents shoaid be supplied in a suitable manner, 
or in a lorm that comes cheapest. Chemists tell us, 
however, that we should not depend upon a single 
analysis, which is undoubtedly true, and therefore 
growers should know whether nuts of Trinidad, nuts 
of Tobago, nuts of Grenada, &c., &c., &c., would give 
the same results in the Laboratory as those obtained 
in Ceylon. It is reputed that the water or milk of 
the Coco-nut is a powerful diuretic, but to which 
of its constituents this property is due is not stated. 
It is clear from the analysis that it is not sufficient 
merely to bury the nut in earth or sea sand to 
succeed in raising fi e trees, but that such cultivation 
requires considerable attention, and the trees are 
benefitted, like all other plants, by the application of 
suitable manures when necessary. The want of sach 
applications, where the plant food is deficient, un- 
doubtedly leads to ill-health and subsequent insect 
attack. 
The question of vitality in plants is not generally 
well understood, but it means everything to the 
cultivator, The Pine Apple in the English hot-honse 
is ruined by an attack of mealy-bug -but growing 
in the open under natural conditions and with all its 
requirements at command, the P ce Apple laughs at 
and despises the attack of this insect. Some stools of 
seedling sugar cane succumb to the attack of fungus 
a-id insect pests, while growing under exictly the 
same conditions as to culture, soil, and geneial 
attention, as their untouched s'lronger brothers (i.e), 
their vitality is low and their constitution weak, 
which renders them unable to sucvive. This vitality 
\ii uUq accQ iu Uclda newly planted, among cauQ 
cuttings planted on the same day 00 the same landff 
and under exactly the same conditions. One row 
will have but very few misses, while another variety 
will require supplying to the extent of 40 or 50 per 
cent. In some cases this is due, as is well known, 
to the condition of the cane ; for joints or tops 
containing a large amount of glucose are much 
quicker in developing growth thin the hard or ripened 
joints which contain a major portion of sucrose. It 
may be argued that plants, if well cultivated, can 
have no weakness of constitution ; but nevertheless, 
it can be shown in handreds of Jnstances that, where 
plants are exotics, it is a difficult matter to get them 
to thrive ; and their adaptability for culture often 
depends upon their power of becoming acclimatised 
(i.e.,) acquiring a strong constitution. Some plants 
never appear to acclimatise, and others are appa- 
rently ubiquitous and appear to adapt themselves to 
change of climate with greatest facility. From 
those facts it is fairly clear that the constitution 
plants possess is affected and also weakened or 
strengthened by several conditions. 
Ist, by inheritance ; 2nd, by temperature ; 3rd, by 
humidity ; 4th, by want of nutriment ; 5th, by un- 
suitable lands ; and 6th, by persistent attacks of 
fungoid or insect pests. So far as it is yet known, 
the best course to be followed, instead of using the 
nostrums often advocated, is to secure by hybridi- 
zation and seminal selection, vaiieties possessing a 
vitality and strength of constitution which will 
enable them to overcome attacks of fnngoid or 
insect enemies. It is of course admitted that the 
application of insecticides is often of the greatest 
service when the plant suffers from special invasions 
not due to want of cultivation, plant food, or 
lessened vitality, but the cultivator should be 
careful in discriminating between attacks caused 
by these wants, and attacks having a 
special character or cau?e. In the latter, insecticide 
can be used with advantage — in the former, even 
endless repetition of their use will not render 
them efl'ective. — Trinidad Bulletin, 
FIG GROWING IN SMYRNA, 
In his report on the trade cf Smyrna, Mr. Vice- 
Consul Hampson gives some information as to the cul- 
tivation of figs in Smyrna. He says that the fig district 
lies almost entirely along the Smyrna- Ardin Railway, 
the best quality of fruit called erbeilli " coming from 
Inovasi, while those from Xasli and Sultan Hissar are 
also much valued, though their skins are thicker and 
lighter There are two kinds of figs, both from the 
same tree ; those for eating and those for distilling 
purposes (hnrdas). The fruit of trees growing on the 
plains is larger and richer in saccharine matter : but, 
on the other hand, the trees in the plains often suffer 
from excess of moisture iu a wet season, which those 
on higher ground escape owing to facilities for draining. 
The trees begin to bear in their sixth year, and are 
in full vigour in their 15th year. The fruit ripens about 
the middle of August, when it is picked and dried in 
the open air for from three to six days. It is then 
packed in sacks of about 2501b, each, two of which con- 
stitute a load for each camel, by which means figa 
are carried to the nearest station to be conveyed by 
trfiin to Caravan Bridge, Smyrna. Thence the sacks 
are again conveyed by camels to the depots of the 
purchasers. An attempt was made to employ carta 
(arabiasl.in the place of camels, but it was found 
that the fruit was damaged if the sacks were piled 
one on the other. The arrival of the c»mel load of flgs 
in Smyrna each season is celebrated a^ a popular 
festival, as the washing, drying and packing of the 
fruit gives employment to thousands of families, 
The sale of dried figs for food takes place from the 
end of August till the begining of November, after 
which the sales are almost entirely of '' hardas " 
(figs for distilling.^ A certain quantity of these latter 
are also sent to Austria-Hungary, where they are 
useol aa a sttbatitute for chicory. 
