MANUAL i)F THK NII.AGIKI DISTKHT. 



491 



But few planters, however, have the courage to incur the trouble CH. XXVIII. 

 and expense of lopping and piling the brushwood and branches coffee 

 in heaps and leaving the mass to decay (or even of burying, Cultivation. 

 as has been done), which is rendered necessary if the aid of fire 

 is not invoked. On one plantation in WainAd this plan was 

 followed and the result, according to report, is a yield of more 

 than a ton an acre, and this not once but repeatedly ; but this 

 is a long, tedious, and expensive operation, and is not likely to 

 be the plan generally adopted. 



After the burn, and having selected a site for the store and —road 

 pulper-house near a stream and as near the bottom of the estate 

 as possible— since it is easier for the coolies to carry the picked 

 coffee down than up hill, — it will be well to trace a cart or bandy 

 road from the entrance of the plantation to the site of the proposed 

 store. At the same time, in order to avoid making unneces- 

 sary pits or having to pull up plants subsequently, it is advisable 

 to trace as many narrower paths as may be requisite, to enable 

 the planter to go all over the plantation, for he may rely upon it 

 that it is a great mistake to overtask himself or the coolies by 

 rambling up and down hill more than is unavoidably necessary. 



And next comes the important task of lining, upon which —lining, 

 depends in a great measure not only the symmetrical appearance 

 of the plantation but the facility with which weeding, picking, 

 manuring, and the various contract works are checked and 

 examined. The best plan is to take two base lines running from 

 north to south and east to west by the aid of a cross staff or 

 road-tracer to ensure accuracy. Then having provided a number 

 of pegs and a piece of stout hempen rope, with the distances 

 marked off by means of pieces of cloth twisted into the 

 strands as in a log line, and a pole to mark off the width between 

 the lines, the planter should station two coolies one at each end of 

 the line, and, commenciag from the base line, should proceed to 

 put down the pegs in parallel lines. The old rule used to be 

 6 feet by 6 feet apart, but my experience is that the proper distance 

 is 6 feet by 5 feet, except in cases where the soil is unusually 

 rich and the growth uncommonly luxuriant. Stumps and logs 

 will more or less tend to throw the lines out a little, but if the 

 planter insists upon the cooly making the pit exactly where the 

 peg is placed, the lines will come out in the end with beautiful 

 regularity. The marks on the hempen line will require occasionally 

 to be set right in consequence of the unavoidable stretching of the 

 rope. This need for correction is experienced even with the 

 Surveyor's chain. 



Armed with mamoties (some planters supply planting bars —pitting, 

 as well) and an axe to evei-y three or four coolies to cut through 



