298 Coffee Planting. 



minimum amount, spreading the total expenditure 

 until this heading (;8oo) over two consecutive 

 years. 



Crop. In the first edition of the work, a maiden 

 crop of 4 cwts. per acre in the third year was cal- 

 culated on, and 7 cwts. peracre afterwards . I have 

 myself picked a maiden crop (third year) of 9 cwts. 

 in Ceylon, and have known a friend to get 13 cwts. 

 in the Wynaad. Since then, however, there have 

 been so many disappointments from one cause or 

 other, and the " leaf disease " has so largely reduced 

 the average yield of Ceylon, that I do not feel 

 justified in adhering to these figures. The present 

 calculations are consequently based on a first yield 

 of 2\ cwts., followed yearly afterwards by one of 

 6 cwts. per acre. This is a sad " come down," 

 looking back upon the glorious crops one has seen 

 gathered in such districts as Kallibokka, Matale, 

 Knuckles, &c., before the year ^863. One estate, 

 also, in Hewahettie, yielded a crop of 22 cwts. an 

 acre all over, one year, and one averaging 13 cwts. 

 in the year following. One field on this estate (of 

 which I was then superintendent) bore 27 cwts. of 

 crop per acre ! 



The " Box " here referred to, is the usual mea- 

 sure used, and contains a bushel and a half. During 

 the height of the crop season the cost of picking 

 will not be more than ^d. or $d. per box, but this 



