62 Coffee Planting. 



some animal or vegetable matter, and which are so 

 loose and light as to be freely permeable to the 

 atmosphere. The absorbent power of soils is al- 

 ways the greatest in the most fertile. 



" The absorption ought to be much greater 

 in warm or dry countries ; on declivities than in 

 plains, or in the bottoms of valleys. The produc- 

 tiveness of soils is likewise influenced by the nature 

 of the subsoil, or stratum on which they rest. 

 When soils are immediately situated on a bed of 

 rock, they are much sooner rendered dry by evapo- 

 ration than when the subsoil is of clay and mud. 

 A clayey subsoil will sometimes be of material 

 advantage to a sandy soil. A sandy or gravelly 

 subsoil often corrects the imperfections of too great 

 a degree of absorbent power in the true soil. 



" Stagnant water may be considered as injurious 

 to all land plants, by obstructing perspiration, and 

 thus rendering their roots and submerged parts 

 diseased." 



I think we may gather from the foregoing very 

 interesting remarks, first, that luxuriant vegetation 

 is an indication of rich soil, and also that the 

 natural growth of certain plants may indicate the 

 constituents of the soil. Might we not go a step 

 further, and say that in seeking a soil adapted for 

 successful coffee culture, it would be wise (as it 

 would in many cases be practicable) to observe 



