RE-CONDITIONING A VERY NEGLECTED 
ESTATE 

By L . M . W. W I L K I N S 

Madulkelle 

AF T E R I h a d been p lan t ing tea and r u b b e r for 22 years, I dec ided tha t it w o u l d b e p r u d e n t for 
m e to o w n a c o c o n u t estate—as a fo rm of O l d age Pens ion (See " C o c o n u t s — C o n s o l s of t he 

E a s t " by H a m e l Smi th and P a p e — 1 9 1 2 ) . 

T h e first p r o b l e m was to decide where . T h e answer was to c o m p r o m i s e be tween the d r y 
n o r t h w i t h its s ingle m o n s o o n a n d less t h a n 50 inches of ra in a n d the w e t sou th , w i t h its l o n g 
pe r iods of c loud a n d a b o u t 100 inches of r a i n ; so to-day I a m the o w n e r o f St. A n d r e w s Es t a t e 
a n d p a r t o w n e r of Nellel la Es ta te , b o t h in t he K u r u n e g a l a distr ict , w h e r e t he annua l rainfall is 
b e t w e e n 75 a n d 85 inches , w h i c h is ideal for coconu t s . 

I n D e c e m b e r , 1 9 1 9 , w h e n I b o u g h t St. A n d r e w s C o c o n u t Es t a t e , it was complete ly neglec ted ; 
o n 48 acres t he coconu t s w e r e c o m p e t i n g w i t h h i g h jungle a n d the remainder was o v e r g r o w n 
w i t h scrub vege ta t ion r idd led w i ' h t e rmi te m o u n d s . Needless to say t he s tand of coconu t s con ­
sisted of g o o d , b a d and indifferent pa lms w i t h many vacancies cal l ing for selective t h inn ing a n d 
extensive rep lan t ing . 

I n m y v iew, there were t w o main reasons for the weak pa lms :— 

(1) T h e p l an t ing of " Ka la ty " ( immature) seed-nuts . 

( 2 ) P lan t ing the seed-nuts in small holes wh ich later b e c o m e enclosed a n d r o o t - b o u n d 

wi th in h u g e te rmi te m o u n d s . 

Cruciform Replanting 
These w e a k pa lms had all to be r e m o v e d a n d replaced wi th carefully selected seed-nuts 

ob ta ined f rom m y best heavy-bear ing , " m o t h e r " pa lms . 

T h e rep lan t ing in t he ha rd up land por t ions wh ich h a d to be dynami ted was in cruci form 
holes w i t h husks a r ranged in layers, inner side u p w a r d s , each success ive layer be ing dus t ed w i t h a 
m i x e d fertiliser a n d covered w i t h top-soi l . E a c h cruciform ho le was so filled tha t t he cross 
w a s 2 inches a b o v e g r o u n d level in o rde r t o a l low for set t lement . A freshly g e r m i n a t e d n u t w i t h 
u n d a m a g e d roo t s was p lan ted in the cent re of each cross (Today , selected seedlings a re to b e 
preferred.—Ed.). 

I n s o m e areas, I not iced that the o v e r s h a d o w e d y o u n g pa lms were d i s to r t ed by p h o t o t r o p i s m 
(i.e. became leggy a n d remained vegetat ive) and I t o o k care t o r e m o v e the weak a n d senile pa lms 
i n such a w a y tha t t he y o u n g pa lms received the m o r n i n g a n d even ing sun . 

Re-conditioning 

T h e first t h ing tha t h a d to be d o n e was t o b reak u p a n d des t roy the te rmi te m o u n d s a n d then 
gradual ly t o t ransform t h e stiff t e rmi te - r idden clay in to l o o s e well-aerated loam. To achieve this 
no husks were ever so ld ; instead all were incorpora ted in to t he soil o n t he Radial Trench System. 



Every year, two 6-foot long trenches were dug on opposite sides of each palm and these were 
filled with husks, mixed fertiliser and top-soil in superimposed layers as previously described. 
The fol lowing year two other radial trenches were dug but in fresh soil so that the fresh young 
roots, previously established, were not cut and so serious root damage was avoided. In due course 
a complete system of radiating arms of husk was established round each palm. 

Thereafter the application of fertilisers was in showery weather by sprinkling in wide circles 
coinciding with the spread of the crown and then covering the fertilised soil with fallen fronds 
and cut vegetation so as to keep the soil moist and cool , even in hot dry weather. 

This Wide-Circle Manuring, without any of the root-mutilating operations such as ploughing, 
harrowing or hoeing, ensures a quick response owing to the undamaged condition of the feeder 
roots. The heaviest-bearing palms I have ever seen are those which have never known any 
root-smashing system of manuring. 

St . A n d r e w s E s t a t e 

As purchased, overgrown with jungle vegetation—palms 
mostly unproductive 

As to whether it pays or not to apply fertilisers, I have never been in any doubt. It was 
worth it when nuts were only worth 2 to 3 cents each ; it is even more worthwhile with nuts at 
1 4 cents. It is true that the price of fertilisers has risen, but not by seven times. 

What is necessary also to realise is that the applied plant foods or fertilisers make several 
journeys up into the palm if all the husks, the fallen leaves and any surface vegetation is repeatedly 
returned to the soil. That is why I never sell any husks and I never allow any burning of cut 

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•weeds o r fallen leaves. Consequen t ly the soil is n o w r ich in h u m u s and is freely aerated by ea r th ­
w o r m s . I t is w h a t is bes t desc r ibed as a " l iv ing " soil wh ich is constant ly be ing regenera ted by 
the b r e a k - d o w n of t he mine ra l cons t i tuents in t he sub-soil b y (he h u m u s p r o d u c e d from the 
decay ing o rgan ic mat te r . 

Estate Maintenance 

Origina l ly the re w a s a t endency towards s tem-bleeding bu t the patches were p r o m p t l y t reated 

in t he a p p r o v e d manne r , any water - looged low-ly ing areas were dra ined , a n d w i t h the improved 

c o n d i t i o n of the soil, the disease n o longer occurs . 

T h e estate is p rope r ly enclosed in o rde r to p r even t d a m a g e from st raying catt le b u t in o r d e r 

t o save r ecur r ing expend i tu re o n fence pos t s , I p lanted Glir icidia cut t ings inside and outs ide the 

b o u n d a r y wire a t close intervals . 

Conclusion 

H a s all this been w o r t h w h i l e ? T h e results speak for themselves . I n o w ob ta in 5,000 nuts 

p e r acre f rom 108 acres o n St. A n d r e w s Es ta te a n d 4 ,100 nu t s p e r acre f rom 146 acres o n N e l l e l l a . 

M y bes t area today was once p o o r , overgrazed , a n d e roded chena land w h i c h was p lan ted 

27 ft. X 2 7 f t . ; o u t of 1,262 pa lms on ly t w o are d u d s and the yield is n o w app roach ing 6,000 nu t s 

p e r acre. 

Whereas fo rmer ly St. A n d r e w s Es ta te was an u n p r o d u c t i v e liability, it is n o w an apprec ia t ing 
asset of cons iderable value . O t h e r s can d o w h a t I have d o n e p r o v i d i n g they d o n o t complete ly 
exhaus t the i r financial resources b y the purchase of m o r e land than they can manage . A neglected 
p r o p e r t y m a y b e acquired v e r y cheaply b u t a n equa l share will b e requi red to recondi t ion it to 
b r i n g it aga in in to prof i table p r o d u c t i o n a n d so increase its capi tal va lue . 

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