THE NURSERY. 63 



strike off at right angles of any length that may 

 be most convenient, but not more than 2 feet, or at 

 the most 3 feet wide. " A bed 3J feet wide by 28 in 

 length, with plants at 4 inches apart, would contain 

 about 1,200, or sufficient to cover an acre planted 

 at 6 feet by 6 feet," says Hall. Their limited 

 breadth is in order that in planting and a good deal 

 of subsequent necessary handling the coolies may 

 have easy and ready access to the plants without 

 disturbing the surface. 



The ground having lain fallow a day or two, the 

 seed is put into it. For this purpose cords attached 

 to pegs are used, the cord being stretched up and 

 down the bed, and a furrow made with a stick by 

 the side of it. This should be done by one of the 

 more intelligent natives. It is astonishing what a 

 distortion of straight lines a coolie will get into even 

 a limited area. In this trench the Coffee bean is 

 placed. 



A regular trade is made in seed now, and there 

 is none of the difficulty experienced in obtaining 

 a suitable supply which was once the case. Very 

 often a neighbouring planter is in a position to 

 supply the necessary amount ; or, if not, there 

 will probably be natives at hand who can obtain 

 as much as is required. 



The time of planting is usually about October, 

 and a few bushels can then always be had from the 

 new crop just ripening. A bushel is said to con- 

 tain 40,000 berries of cherry Coffee, and as most 



