6o6 
Stippknunt to the “ Tropical Agriculturist." 
[February i, 1892. 
W. A. D. S, writes of Mudnr (Calotropin 
gigantea ) ; — Tliis plant is know in Sinhalese as 
Wara. It grows in the uncultivated parts of 
the wanner regions of tlie Island, and its 
leaves and stems contain a milky juice of a 
thick consistency. The milk of the Calatropis 
is very acrid, but is largely used in medicine 
by Indian native medical practitioners. The milk 
has also been subjected to experiments recently, 
and has been found to yield pseudo caoutchouc 
of some value. The bark of the Mudar plant 
contains a fine silky fibre, which though of not 
much commercial importance is used by the 
villagers for various purposes. Its strength, text- 
ure, and appearance are all very favourable. 
In the fruit of the Mudar, the seeds are found 
together with tufts of long silky cotton. The 
staple is long and strong and of a shiny 
appearance. This cotton is said to be spun and 
used in the manufacture of a kind of fabric in 
imitation of Cashmere shawls. In Japan the cotton 
from the Calotropis is used among other things 
in the manufacture of the strings of stringed 
instruments. If sufliciently found the Calotropis 
is no doubt capable of being put to greater 
commercial use. I am informed that not long 
ago the Spinning Company brought over a 
quantity of Calotropis cotton from lladulla, but 
so far it is not known whether the staple was 
found of use, or whether any experiments were 
made to test its value. The latter course woxdd 
be a very desirable one, especially in view of the 
jxjssiblity of growing the plant largely if it is 
found to be a paying crop. 
♦ 
THE CULTIVATION OF THE COCONUT I’ALM. 
To facilitate the process of watering on a 
young estate, rough wells are dug at convenient 
distances ei>nrt ; these, when the trees are in full 
bearing, are filled up with rubbish, or become 
covered over by the natural jirocess of the tumbl- 
ing in of soil. On most coconut estates in the 
Eastern Province the water level is not far from 
the surface of the soil; the cost of well-<ligging is 
not great at first, but where supplying has to be 
done the wells (as well ns fences and nurseries) 
must be attended to. Watering is done by means 
of chatties (earthonwaro jiots) — one chattyful of 
water being given to each plant. A sloping path 
loading to the water is generally cut to facilitate 
the process of watering. When the estate is 
yotmg there is no reason why vegetables should 
not be grown — and this is generally done on an 
open space noartho bungalow — as vegetables thrive 
well till the palms grow up to a extent when the 
roots and the shade of the coconut trees interfere 
with such sub.sidiury cultivation. Jaks, mangoes, 
oranges, shaddocks, and lemons might with 
advantage be made to line the roads leading to 
the bungalow or be grown along the fence.s — they 
are both ornamental and u.seful, the fruit com- 
manding a ready sale. In the low ground plan- 
tains will thrive well ; and pumixkins and melons 
might be raised among the cassava and Indian 
corn, while the latter are growing. It is quite 
common for the watchers and bungalow servants 
to have their own plots of chillies, brinjals, 
beans, &c., so that the coconut planter has no lack 
of vegetables for his table. Many estate pro- 
prietors keep no superintendents and trust their 
properties to a head overseer or cangany, but for 
reasons too patent to need mention here, this 
plan is to be greatly deprecated. The man who 
lives on and manage.s his own estate naturally 
reaps the greatest reward, and a trustworthy 
superintendent — whether a relative of the pro- 
prietor or not, is the next best alternative. Young 
palms generally bear the largest nuts, and these 
have thinner shells than the nuts from old 
trees. The fibre of the latter, however, is the 
tougher and produces the strongest rope, and the 
todily from old palms contains more saccharine 
matter and is more intoxicating. 
Many systems of manuring have been practised 
in the Eastern Province. The plan of liquid- 
manuring entails the cost of largo vats or reservoirs 
generally placed below the cattle-shed floors 
which then need to bo phuiked over, .\gain special 
carts fitted with barrels are noee.ssnry to cart the 
manure to the jdaces over which it has to be 
di.stributed, and where trenches are dug round 
the trees to receive the liquid. In one case 
where liquid manuring was carried out, sul- 
phuric acid was added to the manure before using, 
but this was found to be an expensive practice, 
and it was considered doubtful whether it paid. 
Liquid manuring may now be said to bo 
abandoned, except in one instance, and other 
modes of manuring resorted to. A common method 
i.s to dig trenches S to 3^ feet wide round the trees 
and tie cuttle to the palms for 3 or 4 nights run- 
ning — from 4 to fi head being employed for the 
purpose. Their droppings together with dead 
leaves and refuse from the trees are then earthed 
up. This is done before the rainy season, so 
that the ensuing rains may help to decompose the 
manure and wash down its valuable ingredients 
into the soil to be taken up by the roots — while 
little, if anything, is lost by evaporations owing 
to the covering over of the dung. 
I lately visited an estate, f some age, not far 
from Batticaloa, which is manured in the 
manner I have indicated, excejjt in the case 
of a ]iatch in the centre of the property, that is 
fertilized by the droppings of a herd of some 100 
goats. 1 hero had an opportunity of judging 
of the relative value of goat and cattle manure, 
and found that the results of the former were 
inllnittdy superior to that of the latter. By tliye 
keeping of goats and sheep not only will 
coconut planter vastly impnjve his o.state, but he 
will never be in vvant of meat for his talde and 
milk if necessarj'. The keeping of these animals 
entails little expenso beyond housing them iluring 
wet and windy weather, and engaging a boy, say 
por every (iO, at the cost of 0 or 10 cts. a day. 
In this district the fronds or branches which 
fall, and these only, are plaited after soaking in 
water, and for every 1(X)() given to a villager he 
will return fiOO woven cailjans to the estate, 
keeping the rest for his trouldo. At one time it 
was usual to sell the branches for CO ct.s. per 
UK); those branches not fit for cadjan making 
are allowed to rot and are applied to the ground 
together with manure. The coconut cultivator 
should eiuloavour ns much as possible to return 
to the soil all that falls from the tree, and with this 
end in view, should throw into the manure trenches 
the rotten branches, husks, &c. if possible mixed 
with j ungle leaves. The natives use the dry flower 
