488 
Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist.'" 
[Dec. 1, 1897. 
■we must next consider tlie xalue of roots of 
certain classes of plants for bringing up nitrates, 
ash constituents and moisture from below, and 
look upon tbem f>esides as sub'^oil ploughing 
agents. 
Willi certain crops (parsnips) it is found that 
though the land ■was worked only a foot deep, 
that the soil immediately below the part dug 
is in finer physical condition than the cultivated 
land above, due to the roots penetrating and 
minutely subdividing the hard subsoil. We 
give another illustration from India, where the 
same result is seen when forest gradually extends 
itself into adjacent grass land, and the roots 
of the trees permeate the land below the roots 
of the grass, and so turn the whole soil to a 
considerable depth into beautiful cultivated con- 
dition. Again, agriculturists in France, in order 
to improve certain arable lands, are kncsvii to 
sow on them a mixture of gorse and grass (to 
be cut for hay) with a view to improving the 
depth and texture of the soil ■u hich after some 
years is again ploughed up. We have now taken 
account of (1) the action of routs in disintegrating 
the soil, and (2) their power to act as subsoil 
ploughs, and so to enable the roots of grasses 
and clovei'i and other plants, not only to supply 
themselves with moistuie from great depths in 
the soil, but also to retrieve and bring to the 
surface nitrates and ash constituents which 
are fur beyond the reach of ordinary 
plants at present used in agriculture, and thus, 
1 need hardly .‘^ay, add enormously and without 
any special outlay, to the manurial resources 
of the farmer. We have lastly to consider the 
direct manurial action of roots as they decay 
in the soil. 
Humus, or decayed vegetable matter*'existing 
in the soil, is well knov/n to be one of the 
most important constituents in all fertile soils, 
and it is this which largely gives great value 
to newly-cleared forest lauds and freshly broken 
■up old pasture. Through two agencies of culti- 
vation, cropping and drainage, it is gradually 
partly consumed and partly washed out of the 
land, and i think 1 am correct in saying that, 
in the opinion of our most experienced agri- 
culturists, one of the gieatest difficulties is the 
exhaustion of the soil, mainly arising from the 
decline of this most necessary agricultural agent. 
And this is proved by the fact that if we put 
back on the soil as large an amount of vegetable 
matter as it contained originally, the poorest 
soil, will again and for some years, produce 
good crops, with the addition. of little or no 
manure. 1 
SCIENTIFIC MANURING. COCONUTS. 
Communicated. 
It will be a happy day for Ceylon when manur- 
ing is carried on generally on scientific lines. 
If tve find a friend use a manure with satisfactory 
results, we take it for 'granted that it will yield 
like results if we use it ourselves, quite regard- 
less of any difference there may be in the soil. 
We have not advanced sufficiently far in the 
path ;of agricultural progress to employ a che- 
mist to analyze and report on our soils before 
we use any manures. So far as the tea industry 
is concerned, thanks to Mr, Hughes, a complete 
analy.«is of the tea jilant enables jilanters to 
apply manures to replace the elements of fer- 
tility removed by a tea cup. 
Coconut planters unfortunately are not so 
highly favored. They do not count amongst 
their members men of .‘■ufficient progress who have 
a complete analysis of the coconut tree, and 
they have no Association to undertake what the 
individual has not the public spirit to do. ‘‘All 
about the Coconut Palm"’ has a series of analyses 
undertaken by Mr. Lepine of all parts of the 
coconut tree. The corrtctness of this table of 
analysis was taken for granted till Mr. Cochran 
recently undertook the analysis of the husk of 
a coconut. The disparity between his figures 
and those of Mr. Lepine was so startling as to 
shake confidence in all the figures of the latter! 
With this single reliable analysis of the husk, 
a system of scientific manuring for coconuts is 
recommended. This may strike one ns not very 
.<;cientific, but it is the best course to follow 
under the unfortunate circumstance in which 
coconut planters are placed, or rather have placed 
themselves. 
Messrs. Fieudenberg & Co. have with praise- 
worthy enterprise introduced into our market 
the chief manures which have been known to 
yield good results, and which are in general 
use in European agriculture, and they have with 
equal enterprise enlisted the services of Mr. 
Cochran to introduce them to the public with 
analyses of their composition and essays on the 
methods of aj)plying them. 
In Mr. Cochran's analysis of the husk of a 
coconut grown by the sea-shore, he found salt 
the dominant mineral constituent. He is not sure 
whether on this account he should recommend 
its application to coconut trees with other manures. 
It will be safe for him to do so, especially in 
situations removed some distance from the sea, 
and -u here in consequence the tree is not giown 
under natural conditions. On sandy, non-retentive 
soils it will be best to apply salt in grains on 
the surface of the soil towards the end of each 
monsoon. In the absence of reliable analyses of 
the products of the coconut tree, the plant food 
contained in manures, the application of ■which 
is known to yield good results in most soils, is 
taken as a basis to calculate the manurial ingredi- 
ents of a coconut tree. 
Nitrogen ... 1 lb. 
Phosphoric Acid ... 1^25 „ 
Potash ... I — I „ 
Thomas’ Phosphate Powder being more soluble 
than the phosphate in bone meal, Mr. Cochran 
has thought fit to reduce the quantity of phos- 
poric acid in the mixture he recommends. Whe- 
ther this is wise is a question. Perennials do not 
want so highly soluble and readily available 
manures as annuals. What the latter fails to take 
up during i*^s limited life means in the first place 
a corresponding shortne.ss of crop, and secondly 
a pecuniary loss. Chemical research has proved 
that drainage w'ater has been found to contain 
manurial substances in solution. Not so with peren- 
nials, especially with the vast network of roots 
of the coconut palm. Hardly anything goes to 
waste. Everything is greedily sucked up. And 
