372  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry.  { Amii?S^  iSm"11" 
cocoanuts,  cacao,  cinnamon,  tapioca,  rubber,  lemon  and  citronella 
grasses,  and  to  a  less  extent  white  and  black  pepper,  cloves,  nut- 
megs, sugar  cane  and  bananas  may  also  be  mentioned.  The  upland 
claims  cinchona,  coffee,  tea  and  cardamom  plantations,  while  rice, 
their  staple,  is  grown  in  both  regions. 
The  great  farms  are  called  "  estates."  Labor  is  cheap,  food  is 
plentiful,  the  ambient  air  often  supplies  all  the  needed  garments, 
while  for  a  little  scratching  of  the  soil,  nature  richly  repays  the 
planter  with  three  crops  a  year. 
The  first  task  of  the  planter  is  to  clear  the  jungle  or  native  forest. 
This  comprises  many  large  trees  fit  for  the  carpenter,  and  much 
underbrush  and  scrub  growth.  The  large  trunks  are  cut  and  sold 
as  lumber,  while  the  brush  and  leaves  drying  form  an  excellent  fuel 
to  burn  the  remaining  trees,  which  are  fired  during  the  dry  season. 
As  a  result,  a  good  bed  of  wood  ashes  covers  the  already  fertile  soil. 
Here  and  there  the  great  stumps  are  left. 
Plowing  is  next  in  order.  This  is  done  with  wooden  plows,  pulled 
by  the  hardy  and  patient  beast  of  burden  of  the  East,  the  bullock. 
Horses  are  never  used ;  they  are  too  valuable  and  could  not  stand 
the  hard  usage.  This  superficial  plowing  would  in  our  country  be 
called  a  mere  scratching  of  the  soil. 
All  coast  lands  of  the  tropics  are  blessed  with  the  cocoanut  tree, 
from  which  practically  all  their  wants  might  be  supplied.  The  great 
importance  of  this  culture  to  Ceylon  is  very  artistically  shown  in 
the  exhibit  booth. 
All  planting  takes  place  in  the  dry  season.  The  cocoanut,  husk 
and  all,  is  planted  in  nurseries  ;  in  about  ten  days  the  young  tree  is 
above  ground.  The  next  six  months  are  trying  ones  to  the  planter, 
as  the  "  milk  of  the  cocoanut "  is  changed  to  a  very  pithy  delicacy 
for  both  man  and  beast.  The  men  standing  guard  shoot  the  porcu- 
pine and  wild  hog  that  delight  at  this  stage  to  eat  only  the  tender 
sprouts  and  this  pithy  substance.  When  the  young  tree  has  absorbed 
all  the  nourishment  from  the  nut,  and  the  wild  animals  will  feed  no 
longer  thereof,  it  is  transplanted  to  the  orchard  in  rows  22  feet  apart 
each  way.  This  space  allows  for  the  15-foot  sweep  of  the  leaves  of 
the  grown  plant  and  also  for  ventilation.  This  distance  is  now  being 
increased  to  30  feet. 
The  tree  grows  at  the  rate  of  a  foot  a  year.  When  six  years  old 
the  trees  blossom  and  bear  nuts.    While  no  longer  in  danger  of  the 
