Cultivation of Coffee. 323 



would cause them to decay. The hole is then filled in with the earth 

 that has been removed from it, care being taken to put no stones in 

 with it and to keep the tap root from bending and the lateral roots 

 from tangling. The plant should be set no deeper in the ground than 

 it was in the nursery. When the hole is filled the earth must be 

 pressed down with the hands and afterwards with the foot. To be 

 sure that the plant has been firmly planted it is smartly pulled, and if 

 it offers resistance it may be considered well planted. Care should 

 be taken to leave no hollow spaces around the roots, as the water would 

 settle in them and would rot the roots. Beside each plant a stake is 

 to be set to support it and to prevent its being pulled up when the 

 ground is being weeded ; if the plant should die the stake will mark 

 the place where the plant that is to replace it is to be set. 



Stakes are indispensable in Ceylon, for without them the young 

 plants would be unable to resist the violence of the winds. The stakes 

 are four or five feet in length and last two years. They should be 

 driven at least eighteen inches into the ground. The plant is fastened 

 to the stake with a cord in such a manner as that the bark shall not be 

 injured by the friction of the cord against it. 



6. CULTIVATION OF COFFEE. 



The various operations which coffee culture requires in Soconusco 

 will be first considered, a description of the manner in which the same 

 operation is performed in Ceylon being appended in each case. Then 

 the operations that are not considered necessary here but are customary 

 in Ceylon will be described. The following points, then, will now be 

 considered : 



A. Clearing the ground. 



B. Replanting. 



C. Pruning. 



D. Cultivation of coffee in Ceylon. 



Each of these operations will be considered separately. 



A. Clearing the Ground. Clearing the ground, or weeding, consists 

 in destroying the weeds and other vegetation that may spring up in the 

 plantation, in order that the coffee-trees may absorb all the nutritive 

 elements of the soil. 



The following points regarding weeding will now be considered : 



a. Necessity and advantages of weeding. 



b. Manner of weeding. 



c. Number of weedings to be made during the year. 



d. Weeding in Ceylon. 



Each of these subjects will be separately considered. 



a. Necessity and Advantages of Weeding. The transplanting having 

 been done in May and June, which are the best months in Soconusco 



