iio Coffee Planting. 



Another method is termed " quincunx," the plants 

 in every alternate line being opposite each other. 

 This, however, is hardly to be recommended to the 

 coffee planter, as it will be quite beyond the under- 

 standing of the coolies, and consequently lead to 

 much delay, annoyance, and trouble. Moreover, 

 from the ruggedness of the surface in forest clear- 

 ings, with large logs, stumps and boulders strewn 

 in every direction, it will be next to impossible to 

 preserve a form of this kind with any degree of 

 exactness. It is recommended by Laborie, 2 on 

 the ground that while the rows are approximated 

 the plants are still kept the same distance apart. 

 This, however, is of course only partially true, as is 

 apparent from his next remark, to the effect that 

 " this method has the inconvenience of narrowing 

 the passage for the labourers, the boughs also suffer- 

 ing from it in the extremities" 



After the land has been " lined " and picketed, 

 the next work to be undertaken is " holing " or 

 " pitting " one much more tedious and laborious. 

 At every picket a hole of from 1 8 to 24 inches wide 

 and deep has now to be dug, in which the plant is 

 afterwards to be placed. No pit should be less 

 than 1 8 inches deep, though in loose, open soils dpth 

 is less necessary than in those which are on a sub- 

 stratum of gravel or clay. The object of a deep 

 2 Abridged coffee planter of St. Domingo. 



