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CHAPTER 4. 

 GENERAL REMARKS. 



To enable man to continue to produce a crop containing 

 Lime, Potash, and Phosphoric acid in very large proportions 

 it is absolutely necessary that the soil must be at least 

 carefully " worked" seeing that Coffee is not a crop which 

 is indirectly returned to the soil but is absolutely grown 

 for exportation. This matter is too frequently lost sight 

 of and urgently calls for attention, many so-called cultiva- 

 tors not even carrying out the most ordinary operations 

 calculated and known to assist Nature to perform thoroughly 

 the mysterious, yet, necessary, transformations which are 

 always going on in the soil. Leaving manuring out of the 

 question there are many mechanical operations which un- 

 less properly carried out, the Planter cannot even hope to 

 obtain more than a fractional portion of the hidden wealth 

 in even the best of soils. A good worker with an ordinary 

 or even inferior soil may expect to obtain relatively greater 

 results than those who are content to trust to Nature doing 

 all for them. How often is the man who adopts a novelty 

 in cultivation laughed at ? Is it not a usual habit with 

 some men to ridicule any innovation ? It can be unhesita- 

 tingly allowed however that many a man has had the desire 

 but failed to secure the opportunity simply by having 

 worked in the wrong direction, yet undoubtedly one of the 

 principal causes of failure may be recognized in the fact 

 that few planters in former days were fond of either giving 

 or receiving advice. Each apparently was digging for 

 some secret treasure and anxious to obtain it first, and conse- 

 quently the energies of many were expended uselessly. 

 Not a single book containing anything more than the 

 mere rudiments of planting was available. Failure was the 

 inevitable result and with it came many lasting benefits. 

 Nothing now is commenced without care and enquiry. 



