63 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
[July i, 1891. 
with a subatanoe which is its predominatinf; oon- 
Btituent and which ia yet ‘ decidedly injurious’ 
to all veBclntion ?” I am afraid there will be a 
good many ready to demur that ihe earth was 
mainly created for the growth and support of 
vegetation. This is indeed as revolutionary a 
theory as that of Mr, Beeves 1 The appeal in 
the second sentenoo ie modelled after the haolc- 
neyed atheistic argument, against the exi>-t(noe 
of a Ood, who, if He be the possessor of every 
attribute of goodness, cannot, it is said, consis- 
tently a'low evil (and other thiauB " decidedly 
injurious”) to exist in the world, 'the useof the 
argument (absurd in itself) to prove the value 
ofeilica ia as novel nil it is ridiculous 1 
Wo are asked, ‘Ts it not against the laws of nature 
to find a plant deliberately chooBing what ia ‘ deci- 
dedly iiijurioiia’ to it 1 " Very posHibly against 
the ‘ lawa of nature,” still these that can deliberate 
a good deal more than plants do choose what 
is " decidedly injurious ” to them. The 
fact is that plants may and often do take in 
substanoi B present in the soil, but utterly 
useless in the plant economy, but the demand lor 
these useless sub»tance8 is limited as the ro-ultof the 
action of the law of diSusion of liquids — the sooallod 
" selective power ” of plants. The exorelion of 
silica (or other substance) on the outer tissues of 
the plants is generally considered to be a means 
of “getting rid,” as 1 rofessor .Tohns'sene puts it, of it 
from the growing parte of the plant, where, though 
it may have at one lime perlorraed useful functions, 
it is no longer required, since it does not enter into 
the constitution of plant tissue, I admit that 
Professor Johnstone's statement of this /not is 
rather crudely put. 
I may say in paasing that the value of "iroii 
as a oomraeroial ingredient of agricultural soils 
depends altogether on the particular compound of 
iron that ia present,* while the virtues of iron 
slag are mainly if not solely rofeiablo to the com- 
pounds of phosphorus present in it. — I am, Ac , 
BALT FOK COCONUTS. 
nvxa Sib -In hU enthusiaetio advocacy of salt “ B.” 
baa credited it with so many virtues, that if we ac 
his authi.Hty (and he immea no other) inankiml 
? hAu threueh all the ageq iiegleoHiig the most 
have been, thf K , .t »uriculloral agents; that 
valuable and “iU seU free plant food 
which ^ c..mpo,!n,l»-. th,t 
previoualy «h ‘1 j, extent of reii- 
I .nnr«uoua ; that abaorb. wat. r and 
I'ol'qfit alai able for \h« use of plant- when all an tind 
dry: and that d.atroya coatse and 
'“u., Iw-i.i-ficial t i delicate atitl u«' ml platita. 
'^r'/hM^beeii proved beyond qne.tion, that, with what. 
** l! wnrrsdt may be tnixed, it can be e in.in- 
“'Ithou” lose and without cheinioal ihatige ou the 
Btcd without P I ,. 1 , 1 ,., , (i . it may thetefo-e be 
fahtv inferred," that salt has no eheinioal elfect on aoila 
fairly inter t eir.otsatemp riry mecliauical 
Tlmnce ill soil, and there is no reason to l.elievo. Unit 
'u wate" will have a different or more peramnent 
Salt absorbs molatcto from either earlh or air, 
effect, salt a moisture to dry air or hot 
but it “8*' “ „iih the other iiigredieuls of the sod 
sun m m which mii and air penetrate, 
and to the d< P* - ti„„_ nbaorbs three times its 
For wbenit follows the law, by which 
own weight of wa er a porous 
liquids “'“k ‘i’®*.', ,,eep of salt be laid on a sivtu 
medium. If an inch « P jt ha kept sstu.aieil 
surface, and let the eoi -rabahility is, that not a 
"TThis, of course : for ‘'s “‘h’ ' rvleoS 
is undoubtedly a cause of sterility in t y 
patanas.— Ft). T- 4* 
face. It "has been known from time immemorial, that 
ssit ia destructive to moat kiiida of terrea rial vegetation, 
but it ba.s probably never beiore been orediteil with 
Ihe quality of discrimination between the uoiious and 
the useful. 
That au excess of salt beyond ita erganio re- 
quirements is rs ential to the vigor ami fruitfulness 
of the ceoonnt has been so often asserted, and *'B.” 
has labnnrod so hard to prove it, that it. is generally 
accepted as an established fact, but that isstillopen 
to question. The o momit trees on sea sand do little 
honour to their uufaiiiiig supply of salt, by the crops 
they yiel l; indeed, in this respect, they do not excel 
those that grow on hani gravel, and sleep inolines 
far inland. The atrenglh and fruitfulness of the trees 
growing in Ihe Cinnamon 3ardoii compounds may be 
r. adilv accounted for, on other grounds than their 
exposure to salt bearing broizo«. Besides, those are 
not Ihe champion tr' ea of the Island, which must he 
eocglit on alluvial fleets on the banks of occasionally 
ov. I flowing rivers, where some of the trees yield up 
to 400 nuts per annum, and there are ether inland 
spots, where the tree.- will held their own, in com- 
paii-ou with the Ouiiiamon Gardens. 
It IS true that much of the inland undulating up. 
lauds are not ail that could be desired for ooconu 
onltivution, but there are ways of improving thorn 
without laving recuursn to salt ; salt cannot give 
moiatnro to the si il in a three mouths’ drought ; salt 
eatiiiot pulverize a onrapac. soil ; and -alt ia no sub- 
stitute tor nitrates, pho.-phate- an I organic matter. — 
Yours truly, COCONUT PLANTEB. 
FLOUB FKOM JAK SEEDS? 
Colombo, May 80th. 
Sir, — Has it struck anyone to utilize the seed 
of the jak fruit for the preparation of flour ? The 
only question to decide is whether it would he a 
whoiesumo diet. There ia no reason why it should 
not form a nutritious food : it will cenaiuly be a 
ohcap one, considering the large quantity of seed 
that is allowed to run to waste. The seeds are 
of course eaten roasted to some extent by the 
natives, and even ground to a flour for immediate 
use in the preparation of a sort of cake, after 
mixing with jaggery. If it prove to bo a whole- 
some food and capable of being made into a flour 
that will keep, why shouldn’t a new industry be 
started ? The seeds might at least be exported. 
I should like to know whether the idea baa 
struck anyone before, and whether anyone has 
tried the experim-ut of flour-making ? — I am, 
yours, &a., A. 
(The first question to sotflo is, — “Are the seeds ever 
separated iu any appreomble quantity from the other 
portions of the fruits ?” What we see in the markets 
are sections of the oomph to fruits, with the farinaceous 
seeds embedded in the muoilaginous and saooharine 
Buba.anco in which they arc formed, and we are 
not aware lha'< in cooking the fruits in curries, or 
otherwise, the seeds are ever rejected? We should, 
indeed, be greatly surpriecd to hear that they are. 
But if our observation has been at fault and a 
supply of seeds for grinding mto flout is really 
available, the experiment suggested ought certainly 
to be tried, — Ec. ?', A.] 
HOW TO BECKUIT COOLIES. 
Kalutara, May 80th, 
Dear Sib, — Why not go in for the Assam system ? 
A kaiiguni ia sent to bis country with only enough 
m ,ney to take him there. On his getting coolies to- 
gether, he is empowered to apply to an agent (a worthy 
native raerohaol) and they give him not money 
but rail or boat tickets to their destination for the 
ooolies produced. 
Therefore there ia no opportunity for the kangani to 
use the money tot any other purpose than bringing 
eoolies.— Yours truly, A. A. 
