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over the surface. No good can possibly result from such an 

 operation. The weeds thus deeply buried pass through a 

 tedious process of fermentation, but ultimate decomposition 

 is seriously retarded. A mass of fermenting rubbish must 

 give off most noxious exhalations and the soil must be soured 

 instead of sweetened. The continued burial of surface debris 

 in this way robs the upper layer of soil of all the valuable or- 

 ganic elements of plant food and the feeder roots are unable 

 to support the plant in vigor. The operation moreover 

 seriously affects the physical condition of the soil, which 

 gradually becomes compact, retentive and unmanageable. 

 The land rapidly loses its hygro metric properties, and dur- 

 ing the monsoon becomes quickly sodden or saturated. I 

 have recently had the pleasure of reading a most valuable 

 essay, by Major A. F. Corbett, B. s. c., among a series of 

 professional papers on Indian Engineering, edited by Major 

 Lang, E. c., Principal of the Thomason College Roorkee. 

 Some of his remarks accuratly apply to Coffee cultivation 

 and demand the most earnest attention. I shall make a few 

 casual extracts, in each of which there will be found ground 

 work for mature consideration. 



" Clay soils which can be rubbed into an almost im- 

 palpable powder have a much less power of capillary at- 

 traction than gritty sandy soils, but whilst clay or loamy 

 soils have less power of capillary attraction they have a 

 greater retentive power for moisture ; that is they will re- 

 tain moisture longer when once it has penetrated into them 

 and will not lose it by evaporation or filtration. " 



" The roots of plants require air as well as water but 

 the air can hardly penetrate the now almost hermetically 

 sealed surface soil." 



"The more water supplied by irrigation the more parch- 

 ed the land becomes when the crops are removed and irriga- 

 tion ceases.'* 



