14 



However, a deep soil is not always an essential condition 

 for a successful plantation. 



In connection with this question some reference 

 must be made to the geological formations of these 

 Islands from the cultivator's standpoint. The uppermost 

 formation is the Upper Coralline Limestone, and consists 

 of a hard rock, often semi-crystalline in character, but 

 generally porous and moist, with many pockets and 

 seams of bright red earth, rich in oxides of iron and 

 phosphates, and made up of calcareous matter and clay 

 in just proportions. The surface of the rock is more or 

 less broken and permeable, and the soil is often less than 

 half a metre in depth, except in places where a sort of 

 alluvium has been made up in the course of time. The 

 land on this formation is often levelled artificially, that is 

 a layer of stones of variable depth, derived from the level- 

 ling, is spread on the surface of the rock, and is covered 

 over by a layer of stone chippings and fine material, also 

 derived from the same operation. The red earth is then 

 spread over to the depth of at least 30 c. m. if more 

 earth is not available. Such land is suitable for trees 

 which do not disagree with a calcareous soil, and the 

 roots penetrating into the moist subsoil and spreading 

 on the moist surface of the rock, will secure the tree very 

 effectively from the ill effects of the prolonged summer 

 drought. In places where the rock contains no such 

 pockets of red earth, it is often very soft and friable, and 

 presents very desirable conditions for the formation of 

 a vineyard where wine grapes of superior quality can 

 be produced. For this purpose, trough-like ditches are 

 excavated with a pickaxe, which are i| to 2 metres 

 long, i metre deep and about 50 c. m. wide, and are 

 filled in with the same material which has been taken 

 out, two vines planted in each trough, one at each end, 

 with a basketful of red soil round each plant. The upper 

 coralline limestone formation varies in thickness from 

 3 or 4 metres to 125 or more. It caps the summit of hills 



