13 



" 4- All dead cacao trees, old prunings and branches should be 

 periodically collected and burnt, and the ashes which are rich in 

 potash, spread under the trees. This proceeding is necessary 

 because the fungus lives on dead cacao wood and will thus be able 

 to infect healthy pods." 



VALUE OF MULCHING, II. 



The value of mulching has been recognised in Jamaica for some 

 years, and in the December Bulletin an account was given of exact 

 experiments that had been carried out in Dominica under the 

 general superintendence of Hon. Dr. F. Watts, showing that 

 mulching cocoa with leaves and grass during a period of three 

 years gave a greater increase in crop than various manures. 



The report of the Annual General Meeting of the United 

 Planters' Association of Southern India held last August, has just 

 been received, and it is instructive to note that the coffee planters 

 there appear to think they may have been using too much artificial 

 manure during the past 20 years, and that they are just beginning 

 to recognise the value of mulching. 



The following are extracts from the very interesting report of 

 the meeting : — 



Mr. a. F. Martin : — Dr. Lehmann has told us that the general 

 practice in several countries is that the amount of manure to be 

 put on a field is calculated by first of all determining how much 

 of the soil constituents the crop has removed from the ground ; 

 but in coffee we have not only to consider what amount has been 

 removed by the crop, but we have to consider the general health 

 of the tree. I would like to know if it would not be necessary to 

 give other manures and a greater quantity than has actually been 

 removed by the crop ? 



Dr. Lehmann : — In other countries, as a general principle, the 

 manure is added in proportion to the soil constituents removed by 

 the crop. It is absolutely impossible, however, to keep a book 

 account of that kind. But as a general principle, it has been 

 recommended by certain German chemists, and the results they 

 have obtained are certainly satisfactory. In regard to the coffee 

 tree, there is absolutely nothing to show that the coffee tree will 

 differ from other crops. The coffee tree will yield in proportion 

 to its vigour. It cannot yield a crop if it is not in a vigorous 

 condition ; unless it is injured to such an extent as to put forth a 

 special effort to repi'oduce its species before it dies, as, for 

 example, in a badly bored tree. But these are abnormal conditions. 

 Under normal conditions, a coffee tree will produce an amount of 

 crop to a certain extent proportionate to the vigour and health of 

 the tree. Perhaps you may have a number of examples which 

 appear to contradict this, for the principle is only generally 

 applicable. If we return to the soil the same amount of plant 



