76 COFFEE I ITS CULTIVATION AND PROFIT. 



Probably even the professional planter, absorbed 

 as he is with his own immediate gains, must feel 

 some sympathy with these sensible regrets. 



The more complete the burn the easier and 

 pleasanter is the subsequent operation of planting. 

 A good burn is obtained by obtaining a compact 

 mass of timber and branches, and firing on a 

 suitable day before the first showers have sodden 

 the dead leaves and damped the heavier growths. 

 There can be no doubt it is a trying ordeal to 

 the land at best, but in woodland districts hand 

 clearing, as it will be readily understood, on such 

 a scale is out of the question. By " pitting" the 

 clearings before the burn we pocket the good soil, 

 and save at least a large proportion of it. 



Planting under shade i.e., suffering a majority 

 of the best trees to remain standing, and not firing 

 a clearing at all, almost always practised now in 

 hot, dry climates, such as that of Southern India 

 is incomparably the most natural and rational pro- 

 cess, though it has its drawbacks ; and one of the 

 chief is that Coffee under such circumstances does 

 not bear so heavily as in the open. Grassland, 

 though rarely used for our purpose, and "chena jr 

 scrub, so called in Ceylon, or land once cleared 

 and reverting to a primitive state, of course gives 

 less trouble in preparation. 



Cingalese contractors used to undertake work 

 at the rate of from Rs. 20 to 25 per acre, and had 

 to be provided with tools. The rates have been 



