^0 
iitppUmnt to the " Tropical AgricuitumtJ’ 
[September i, 1891. 
Tlio c.vpDrt trade in Kapok in tleylon is of 
^ery recent oii(i!iu, jn’oliably net otiler tliiin ten 
years. I’revious to tlii.s Hie proiliiet had only 
a local demand for the ]nirposes of .stnlllnK 
jiillowa, cu.«hioiis, lyc., and I his demand wins so 
small, that it did not even eneimraKe t ho collec- 
tion of the Kni»ok found on the trees which wore 
growing; wild. 
Hince an export trade begun, the demand has 
increuaed so much, that not only is Kapok care- 
fully collected from the trees growing wild, but 
great care is taken to preserve it and ]dant new 
trees wherever tire oppo*tuuity occurs. 
There is a large demand for the article in 
Australia, where it is used in the innnnfnctnre 
of pillows and cushiiois, and it is also exported 
to Holland and Fij i, where it is said to be used 
for mixing with orjtton and wool in the miiiiu- 
facture of cloth. 
Ceylon is not the only country where this 
article is produced, for Java, Sumatra and the 
adjacent Island ore also exporting It largely. 
The cultivation of the Kapnk-producing'’tree 
in Ceylon could be very much extended, not hy 
growing it us a seiiarate jiroduct, for then it 
would not pay, but by planting the trees at in- 
tervals in the lowconnti-y plantations ns shade and 
boundary’ tree.s. 
Tlie other species of silk cotton found in Ceylon 
is the lioinia.r Malnhorictini, the iiatu Imbul 
of the Sinhalese. It is not so commonly 
met witli, and imiy be said to Ih> never cultivated. 
The ]>hmt i.« cbaracterired by tbe sharp iirickles 
wdiicli are found abundantly on tbe stem. Its 
loaves are .smaller and greener than those of thi' 
Kriodendron, and the Howers bear scarlet corollas. 
The fruits are smaller in sixe, but cmitaui silky 
down of rather u slightly lietter (junlity. 
Among the other le.ss known varietie.s of silk 
cotton, wbicJi are not utilized cotiiinerciaJIy, the 
giant homhax of South America may he given as 
an example. This plant is known us Hiihiha,r 
ciehn, and is iouud of very large dimensions. 
Watertou in Iiis “ Travels iu South America” ,-rives a 
graphic description of the free, luid says that the 
staple is ve,ry short and is of a yellowisli colour, 
and that no use bins been found for it, except for 
puckingthe arrows of the South Amoricau Indians 
and stuiTlng pillows 
TIIF CULTIVATION OF TIIK COflOXUT 
FAL.M. At). I. 
The ctiltivution uwl nurture of the Coconut 
J’lUm ( L’whk iiiH-tfeiu) has been for many 
years past the sulrject of much ejs'cnlation, and 
especially during the last half century, in the lirst 
part of which Ktirofieaus in tteylon lii>t opened 
out laxgo estates of this valuable tree, notably iu 
the Kiistern Froviiice, and more particularly in 
the District of Biitticnloa, Before tliis time of 
course many large iilantiitions and village plots 
Were cultivated hy the nutive.s of the country, 
'mt no scientilic method of planting and manur- 
ing was before this attcmiitod, nor was the msk- 
ing of ‘ C'en/v/,’ with care and nttentioii to iletails, 
the .speciality that it is at the jireseiit time. 
Of the native method of cultivation 1 will 
say but little — ^nnly one system being uiuversiilly 
followed. The ripe imt jg placed upright iu the 
ground, the ‘eye’ or sprouting end appearing 
iihout one to two inches above the surfaco. This 
i.s carele.ssly and irregularly wiiteivd, and the 
idimt, transplanted in due time, is ill-attcniied 
to during its tender years, and then left to its 
own duvicos till the friiitj when malurcd, is 
lacked for use or .sale, or is plucked immature 
for the purpose of drinking the coconut water. 
On the. lirsi planted ('.states tho Fiiro])eau 
proprietors — following the native cuslmu as far 
us the pldHtuiy of the nut in nurseries was con- 
cerned --made no selection of lints, and jdaiited 
them vertically, that is, ns t hey Imng on (he tree. 
Tho main difl'eroiice however iM-tweeii the Kuro- 
peiiii ajul native methods consisted in a careful 
wiitej’iug, and in tlie regular manuring of the 
plmit from time to time A few proprietors im- 
ported nuts for planting from the tlalle and 
Rlatani or the southern soa horde — the habitat 
of some of thu tinest trees iu tho Island, 
but strange to say, many of the estates so ])lantod, 
suffered iu comparison with those plautotl 
with local seed — the nuts becoming smaller and 
smaller every year, the trees failing iu jiowor of 
production, and lluully dwindling aw-uy, till 
within the last few years wliolu acres— indeed 
largo portions of estates— linve died out, and 
niiiiiy estates abandoned iu coii.se(|ueiice. 
Of very hue years a now method of planting 
tho nut in nurseries has been followed, the 
results being up to date emiiiently satisfactory. 
The niethotls followed hy Dumo Aature iu tlie 
propngiitioii of seeds— of whatever kind they 
may bo — are infallihle, and ho who departs from 
tho rules site la5’s down, travels out of the circle 
or sjilierc of success: ; and when we .see whole conti- 
nents and islands clothed with great forests where 
the trees have been self-propagated, must aecejit 
the axiom that Xuture is right, unci that they only 
wrong who depart from her uucluuigiiig rules. 
In the cii.se of coconuts it will be found hy the 
most onrelesa observer that the nut, in fiiUiug 
from the tree, always lies on the ground liorizou- 
tally or on its side, in whicli position it is best 
ntted for sprouting, growing, uiul successfully 
iirriciiig at maturity, as 1 shall now proceed to 
demonstrate. 
The young ir tender nut is found to he full 
of a liiiiiid or coconut water as it is culled— so 
excellent a drink cyhich not only keeps thu nut 
iiioist hut lielps tobriiig to perfection that portion 
or the nut which hardens hy degrees till it reaches 
the uselul or stage, and holds not only a 
inch milk hut a yaluiible oil in its tissuos. This 
coconut water is ahsorbeii by degrees by tlie 
miitiiriiig nut which will be 'found to contain a 
less amount, probably only u half, the original 
quantity. ® 
1 he coconut being rather of an elongated shape 
tile sprouting portion lies at one end, so that if 
planted m a vertical or upright position, the 
water only IllUiig imif its cavity luid tho sprouting 
eye being at the top, — the eye remains dry and 
iiiiuioisteiied, and though the soed sprouts from 
the dampness of the soil, the sjiiout does not 
attain the full vigour that it would do under 
other conditions. 
But if tile mit is planted liocizoiitally, — or in 
the natural position it lii.-s on thu groiiiul us it 
fulls from the tree, — the sprout or eye never dries, 
and it receives constant uouriehmeiit from the 
water within which keeps it moist oven thougli 
the cavity of the uut be half flUecl. 
