CHAPTER V. 



Soil Mr. London's definition of soils for the cultivator 

 Organic matter Friability Absorbent power Stag- 

 nant water Vegetation a guide. 



THE question of soil is one which admits of a good 

 deal of discussion, though this need not be made a 

 primary difficulty of by any one about to open an 

 estate of ordinary dimensions. Commonly speak- 

 ing, when the soil is dark in colour, loose, and full 

 of roots, it is rich in organic matter, and therefore 

 good for coffee, which is a hardy plant not on the 

 whole difficult to please in this particular. 



Planters whose estates yield heavy crops, and at 

 the same time happen to have a light red or yel- 

 lowish soil, will probaby argue in favour of that 

 particular colour, others may have seen the best 

 results in conjunction with a chocolate-coloured 

 soil, others again with black. The best criterion, 

 however, as to the quality of the soil is the luxu- 

 riousness or otherwise of the vegetation it produces 

 in its original state. For instance, in forests which, 



