“THE COFFERK PLANTER OF CEYLON.” 63 
use of forcing manures. It has now been effectually 
proved, he states, that 
‘‘ Draining to prevent wash and waste of soil, and 
a system of manuring while the trees are still young 
and vigorous, tend to prolong the age of estat-s. 
There is no doubt that under such a sssiem coffee 
trees may have as long an existence as other ever- 
greens; excepting o course such con!ingencies as 
overbearing, a'tacks of grubs, the tap roo! coming in 
contact with rock, cr becoming rotten from swampy 
soil, all of which bring the tree to peer a decay.” 
Mr. Sabonadieére, like every one elxe, gives the pre- 
ference to cattle dung where it can be plen ifutly and 
economically applied, Of course the mere opening of 
so large a hole asis usually dug near the cotie2 trees 
“would effect. much good even if 9 manures were ap- 
pled. But as the expense of applyin large quantities 
of so bulky and heavy a material as cow-dung is 
very great, it may be important to our planting read- 
to know that a gentleman with considersble ex- 
perience _in the use of manures has found that a 
much smaller quantity than is ordinarily used of cow- 
dung or pulp will have all the effect of the larger 
quantity ii mixed with a proportion of bone-dust, or, 
better sill, superphosphate. Manuring with cattle. 
dung, aided by bone-dust or artificial manure, My. 
Sabonadiére believes could be so managed tha‘, with 
an average expenditure of £3 per acre pr annum, 
‘* properties of even medium sol might be kept to 
an average bearing rate of eight to ten cwts. an acre, 
which would filly repay the cost, and leave a large 
profit besides.” As Mr. Sabonaiére is speaking of 
eves where the cattle are wholly stall-fed, this judg- 
ment founded on his experience 1s most important as 
showing that where capital and skill are applied to 
the coffee en' ‘erprise that enterprise can be rendered 
profitable. not merely temporarily bat permanently. 
But clea'ly here, as in all other pursuits, skill must 
be supplemented by erpital. There can be no doubt 
that much of the failure we have to mourn over in 
Ceylon has been due to the mistake of attempting 
too much. Men have cleared and planted 2v0 to 400 
acres of land, when they ought to hive concentrated 
their energies and means on !00. Mr Sabonadicre is, 
of course, in favour of burying all the prunings. It 
labor cannot be spared for so unecessary an operation 
as this, the look out is a bad one. We quoted noticrs 
of mana grass in our last, but there are many pro- 
perties where this substance cannot be procured within 
available distance. In thoze cases a reserve of forest 
would be valuable, from which fresh earth could be 
brought to be applied with manure; also twigs to be 
