2l6 TiMEHRl. 



and owes its prosperity in certain distridts to thorough tillage of the soil 

 before planting, and subsequent heavy manuring when the first flowers 

 appear, and continued yearly aeration of the land by trenching. Even 

 after the trees are in full bearing, this deep tillage is continued, and 

 trenches over a foot in depth, are dug between each row of coffee trees, 

 and the earth thrown up close to the plants. One would imagine that 

 deep tillage of the kind in a comparatively dry climate, would injure the 

 young roots and retard the plants, if it did not destroy their fruitfulness 

 entirely, but this is not the case. On the contrary, the trees seem to 

 resist the periodical drought of two or three months duration much 

 better than under the old system of dense shade and surface cultivation. 



Under the more modern system of culture, which ensures a thorough 

 aeration of the soil, a crop of 2^ cwts. to the acre may be expefted on 

 ordinary soils in 2i years, if not under shade. The artificial manure in 

 use, is a compost of nitrate of soda and oil seed refuse, applied at the 

 rate of about a ton to the acre so soon as the coffee begins to bear. 



The coffee is sown in the nurseries originally, and each plant set out 

 afterwards in a small basket of highly manured soil, when about 9 

 inches. 



The rainfall in the districts referred to, is about 60 inches annually, 

 fairly distributed, although continuous dry weather for two or three 

 months annually is experienced. 



The elevation of the land is from three to four thousand feet, The 

 plants are set out at distances ranging from six to eight feet, and even 

 then under this system of high cultivation, the bushes frequently touch. 

 The height is kept down by pruning to about five feet. Labour is cheap, 

 ranging from four pence for men to three pence for women. 



Shade trees are used as a protection from hail rather than as a sun 



shelter. 



On soils less highly cultivated, shade trees, as such, are essential. 



Well worked land highly manured and trenched yearly between the 

 rows of trees, will yield as much as half a ton of coffee to the acre, 

 when in full bearing. The profit on such returns is enormous at 

 present prices, say 95 shillings per cwt., yielding about ;^3,ooo net from 

 a hundred acres in full bearing. 



These splendid results are due mainly to perfeft aeration of the soil, 

 and the liberal use of fertilizers, for in much richer soils, where the old 

 system of cultivation still obtains, not only is the yield much less, but 

 the bushes usually suffer from blight, which is not the case where the 

 land IS highly cultivated. 



