254 Coffee Planting. 



are, how they may be best brought and retained 

 within reach of the roots, and, secondly, how they 

 may be distributed through the soil with the least 

 possible waste. No manure for coffee ought to be 

 more than one foot below the surface of 'the ground, 

 the lateral or " feeding " roots of the plant seldom 

 extending much beyond that depth in search of 

 nourishment. 



On fiat land, where there is no danger of wash, 

 the most judicious method is to spread the manure, 

 well broken up, generously and uniformly over the 

 surface, and then immediately to dig it well in with 

 the forked hoe or the pick, delving to the depth of 

 from nine inches to a foot, and up to within say a 

 foot and a half of the tree ; though not nearer, so 

 as to avoid unnecessarily wounding or injuring the 

 leading roots. 



Flat land, however, as a matter of fact, is not 

 often met with on coffee estates ; and therefore, on 

 slopes, continuous parallel trenches are more usual. 

 These should be one foot deep on the lower 

 side, should run level across the face of the hill, 

 and be about fifteen inches wide. A man may 

 be set between each line of the bushes, so that the 

 length of each trench made by him will be five or 

 six feet, according to the width of separation be- 

 tween the lines, the trench opened by him being 

 continued by his neighbour on each side. Of such 



