40 The Cultivation and Preparation of Coffee 



with the supplementary expenses, with the 

 result that his coffee, when cured, will have an 

 irregular appearance similar to that experi- 

 enced with some Colombian coffee. Chemical 

 fertilizers in conjunction with stable manure 

 will produce more uniform ripeness. It would 

 be difficult to state in what proportion the 

 mixture of organic manure and chemical 

 fertilizers should be administered ; much 

 depends on the nature of the organic manure. 

 From an analysis of the ash of the coffee 

 bean, we find that ordinary wood ashes, with 

 a small quantity of phosphate of lime, contain 

 all the essential constituents necessary for the 

 production of coffee. As this is an easily pro- 

 cured stimulant, it should therefore form a 

 large portion of any manure which may be 

 applied. 



The divided opinion of some years ago as 

 to the fertilizing action of chemical manures, 

 which attracted considerable attention in 

 coffee-producing countries, is, I might say, 

 to-day in favour of these. From experiments 

 carried out by Don Gustavo Helmrich in Finca 

 (Estate), Samac, Alta Verapaz, Eepublic of 

 Guatemala,* the following will illustrate the 

 advisability of manuring by means of chemical 



* Published in the Supplement to Tropenpflanzer, Nov. 4, 1908. 



