52 Coffee Planting. 



is not too pronounced, partially remedial measures 

 may be adopted, as will be shown elsewhere, and 

 this is the more fortunate, that when a block of 

 forest is far inland it is not always easy to ascertain 

 from its aspect how far it may be sheltered from 

 certain prevailing winds ; indeed, a very small 

 clearance of forest lying adjacent, will occasionally 

 alter the direction of the wind so much, that it will 

 only remain to remedy as far as possible what 

 could not have been anticipated. Thus, an estate 

 which for many years may have remained quite 

 sheltered, has been known suddenly to become 

 seriously affected by a belt of jungle having been 

 cleared on a neighbouring estate, or by a new 

 estate having been opened in the neighbourhood. 



That wind should prove an enemy to the coffee 

 plant is hardly surprising, it being inimical to every 

 species of vegetation, even grass, unless of a par- 

 ticular kind, not thriving when exposed to it. All 

 will at one time or other have seen the farmer's 

 crops laid low by a single night's storm ; what 

 then may be expected from a continuous gale 

 lasting through many weeks by night and day. 

 The only exception I ever heard of to the general 

 rule, is the Doombegas-tree of the Ceylon forests, 

 which is said to flourish most luxuriantly in situa- 

 tions where the atmosphere is habitually the most 

 boisterous ; the abundance of this tree may, if this 



