different Substances TUsefc as jfertilisers. 339 



a. Substances which are Used as Manure. Various substances are 

 used in Ceylon as manure. I will mention here only those that are 

 generally known and easy to obtain, omitting such as are little known 

 and difficult to procure, like poonac and sombreorum. 



The fertilizers are these: 



Cattle-dung, bones, super-phosphates, coffee-pulp, prunings, grass, 

 salts, wood-ashes, burnt clay, lime, guano, and mixtures of these sub- 

 stances. 



Cattle-dung. Cattle-dung is the best manure known for the coffee- 

 tree. It may be used alone, or mixed with other fertilizers, as will be 

 shown farther on. 



Bones. It is well known that bones contain a large amount of phos- 

 phate of lime, and for this reason they make a good fertilizer for the 

 coffee-tree, inferior only to cattle-dung. The principal effect of this 

 fertilizer is to increase the productiveness of the tree. The bones can 

 be used conveniently only in the form of powder, as in any other form 

 they would dissolve very slowly and their effect would be proportion- 

 ately slow. In Ceylon they are always used in the form of powder, 

 this being imported from Australia. 



Super-phosphates. Super-phosphates are now being largely used as 

 fertilizers, and with good results, especially super-phosphate of lime. 

 Half a pound is sufficient for each tree. 



Pulp of the Fruit. As might be supposed, this excellent fertilizer, 

 which goes to waste in Soconusco, is used extensively in Ceylon, and 

 with very good results. Two medium-sized basketfuls are sufficient 

 for each tree. This manure produces very good results mixed in equal 

 parts with cow-dung. A basketful of the mixture should be applied to 

 each plant, and it is to be used in the same way as unmixed dung. 

 The pulp may be mixed with advantage with the other fertilizers, such 

 as lime, bone-dust, etc. 



Prunings. These make a very good vegetable manure. They are 

 buried while green in pits, carefully covered over and pressed down; 

 but they are now little used, owing to the great expense of making the 

 excavations. 



Mand Grass. This manure is used in the same manner as the 

 former, and gives very good results. As this grass does not grow in 

 Soconusco, I think it unnecessary to speak of it more in detail. I be- 

 lieve, however, that the grass of the country would give results similar 

 to this fertilizer, more especially Guinea grass, and, in general, all 

 vegetable substances that could be buried in the ground. Mand grass 

 revives and rejuvenates plantations that have become exhausted. 



In burying the grass care must be taken not to bury with it seeds 

 or shoots that might grow, for should this be done the coffee plantation 

 would be converted into a grass-field. 



