66 ‘THE COFFEE PLANTER OF CEYLON.” | 
introduced, like the thistle in Australia, and likely 
equally to demand special legislation for its control 
if not its extirpation. Much might be done, we sus- 
pect, by the appl.cation of some powerful chemical 
substance to gathered heaps of the ageratwm. Burn- 
ing cannot often from the dampness of the climate be 
so ettectually accomplished as to destroy the amazing 
quantities of s°eds which this plague of a weed pro-_ 
duces. Mr. Sabona‘lere favours contract weeding 
under, proper reguiations. When he comes to prun- 
ing, the authcr expresses his belief (contrary to the 
general practice) that, if young trees were allowed to 
bear their maiden crop before being topped, it would 
be very much to their future benefit and endurance. 
He certainly gives good reasons for his belief and 
against the too early forcing of the trees for the sake 
of crop. We fancy that the greater or less exposure 
to wind will determine the practice. In Dimbula we 
suppose it would be safe to let plants grow to four 
feet hign before topping, while in Medamahanuwara 
such plants would be blown to shreds or uprooted. 
Mr. Sabonadiere must have been thinking of the 
women’s right theory when, in regard to pruning, he 
wrote :—‘‘Kven women may be taught to use the knife 
in a very workmanlike manner.” In treating of pick- 
ing there is an application of common sense which 
seems too obvious to be mentioned, and yet the vast 
majority of young planters would require to learn from 
experience what Mr. Sabonadicre thus describes :— 
“‘In steep ground, my orders invariably were to 
pick trom the top of the hill. My reasons were, that 
if any coffee dropped, it rolled down forwards and 
was iore likely to be seen and picked up, and _ be- 
cause tue coolies were not loade? when near the top 
of the tield, so they had not to come down to empty 
their small bags and then have to go up again—per- 
haps to finish only a few trees—w«hich they are very 
loth to do, their natural object being to complete 
their task as quickly as possible.” 
The value of such an appliance as spouting on an 
estate 1s presented vividly in the following extract :— 
““Wihere there is a sufficient declivity and a suffi- 
ciency of water, spouting should be made use of to 
transmit the cherry to the pulping house from distant 
parts of the estate. Along the lines of spouting, here 
and there, in convenient spots where paths converge 
receiving hous:s must be put np, into which the coffee 
is taken and spouted down to the works. ‘The coolies, 
being thus enabled to deliver their loads near at hand, 
are not only spared the toil and labour of a long 
and, in wet weather, sometimes a dangerous jou rney 
to the p:Iping house, but time, which is always money, 
