i6 



soil is one of the most essential things we have to consider in the 

 matter of coffee growing. We hear of the deterioration of coffee, 

 and have several indications that that deterioration is due to a 

 diminution of the organic matter in the soil. I think it behoves 

 us to be most careful in regard to this organic matter. In these 

 tropical climates organic matter decomposes very very quickly. 

 There are indications, I believe, that coffee is able to assimilate 

 directly organic matter which is on the surface. As a rule, plant 

 roots are not able to do so. Organic matter in the soil acts only 

 on the mechanical condition of the soil with crops like wheat, 

 barley and oats. But in the case of coffee we are dealing with a 

 plant about which we know very little, and the fact that there is a 

 great cluster of very thick white rootlets going through organic 

 matter on Mr. Sprott's estate seems to me to indicate that probably 

 or possibly, coffee roots may be surrounded with that network of 

 mycelium, which Dr. Butler has found to exist on the roots of tea 

 plants. I cannot speak with any degree of certainty about it. 

 But it appears to me, that the thickness of the white-tipped coffee 

 roots that I have seen is larger than is generally the case ; and 

 from the fact that these roots are found in such large numbers on 

 the surface and from the fact that they are of such large diameter 

 I conclude that there is a possibility that these roots are able to 

 make use directly of the organic matter which is on the surface, 

 and that they do not only make use of this organic matter but may 

 very possibly require it ; and to my mind, at any rate, there is a 

 very hopeful indication that coffee may be improved in quality in 

 the future. I may mention here, too, that all the mulching experi- 

 ments which have been carried out in Mysore have, so far as I 

 know, been very successful indeed. I remember one patch of very 

 poor coffee on a heavy clay soil, in an otherwise nice piece of 

 coffee, which I advised the manager to mulch heavily. The next 

 year when I saw that patch, I could not distinguish it from the 

 surrounding coffee. I think Mr. Harris will bear me out that on 

 his estate the mulching that has been done has been effective. 

 The effect of a mulch is two-fold ; it supplies organic matter to 

 the surface when it decomposes and it prevents the nasty disagre- 

 able caking on the soil which is so deleterious to coffee. 



MR. SPROTT : — I should be obliged if Dr. Lehmann could tell us 

 what manure had been put to these experimental plots previous to 

 their being taken up for experiments, and also if he could tell us 

 the amount of manure which he put to the manured portions of it. 

 I do not know if Mr. Harris could tell us that. I ask him because 

 I have been very much of Dr. Lehman's opinion, after having had 

 very many conversations with him on the subject. I think we 

 have been very much over-manuring and have wasted a great deal. 

 I am trying now putting smaller doses of manure, for I think there 

 is a possibility of our having over-manured. I am watching very 

 carefully whether coffee deteriorates in any way by lessening the 

 manure. So far, I can only say it has not ; and I think that 

 spreading our manure in smaller quantities over an area will bring 

 in beneficial results. I can also strongly bear out what Dr. Lehmann 



