264 



for the same purposes. Experiments carried on over three 

 growing seasons have shown no lessening of the effects under 

 the most unfavorahle conditions. The agriculturists of the fu- 

 ture must look forward to the conservation of the resources of 

 the land. This is accomplished best by proper control of physical 

 conditions with the subsequent fullest utilization of the natural 

 forces of sunshine, air and moisture. Any man who will look 

 forward to such a careful utilization of his land will surely in- 

 crease his wealth materially. — NortJi JVoods {Minnesota For- 

 estry Association). 



MANURING COFFEE. 



The manure most commonly used for coffee at S. Paulo con- 

 sists of stable dung, previously limed and mixed with coffee hulls. 

 When these materials are scarce, poudrette and guano are used. 

 It may be assumed that a three-year-old coffee plant requires 3-4 

 gms. of lime, 1.2 gms. of magnesia, 6.3 of potash, 0.7 of phos- 

 phoric acid. The stable manure used contains in 1000 parts by 

 weight Z.Z of lime, 3 of magnesia, 0.2 of potash, 4 of phosphoric 

 acid; the hulls contain per 1000: 3.9 of lime, 1.7 of magnesia, 

 20.7 of potash and 1.7 of phosphoric acid. The poudrette em- 

 ployed, in default of the preceding manures, contains 6 per cent 

 of nitrogen, 2 per cent of phosphoric acid and 2 per cent of 

 potash ; the guano used in the best farms contains 4.5 per cent 

 of nitrogen, 10.5 per cent of phosphoric acid, and 4.5 per cent of 

 potash; their price delivered at Santos is respectively 7s. 6d. and 

 6s. 6d. per cwt. First of all 16 to 24 cwt. of lime per acre are 

 spread between the rows, then half a shovelful of stable manure 

 and 22 lbs. of macerated coffee hulls to every four plants ; in the 

 case of new plantations only the lime is given. 



Opinions differ as to the advantage of using artificials for 

 coffee. Nevertheless, the writer has conducted for the last eight 

 years several experiments on chemical manuring in several ])lan- 

 tations, in view of the fact that the question of matuiring coffee 

 is becoming more urgent on account of the insufficient quantities 

 of stable manure produced, which allow of its being used only 

 once in 10 to 20 years. The following results were obtained in a 

 ])lantation 50 years old which was completely impoverished. The 

 experiment was begun in 1910; in the manured plot each plant 

 was given 1.2 lbs. of a mixed fertilizer containing 7}> gms. of 

 potash, 52 gms. of phos])horic acid and 28 gms. of nitrogen ; the 

 unmanured plot was given a single dressing in 1912 of stable 

 manure with coffee hulls. 



Yield of 960 coffee ])lants with and withcnit artificials: 



Manured— 1912: 97.62 bushels, 10.37 cwt., 9.41 bushels per 

 cwt. 1913: 90.06 bushels, 11.55 cwt.. 7.80 bushels per cwt. 

 Total and average, 187.68 bushels, 21.92 cwt., 8.56 bushels \)qv 

 cwt. 



