194 THE WET CYCLE AND SHORT CROPS. 
perseding the present ru'nous, destructive, and most 
unsatisfactory system of mamoty and scraper weed- 
ing. Many estates have been utterly ruined by it, 
and hundreds: more are rapidly going to rain from the 
same cause. On the one side you feed the tree by 
applying manures; on the other, you destroy the feed- 
ing roots, whieh are finding their way towards the 
manure. May not this explam why manure does not 
tell on some estates? But there is another reason,. and 
the ‘*Shuek Coffee Tree” has again hit the rivht 
nail on the head. Many expevienced as well as young, 
planters. apply their manures teo deep: FE have seen 
numerous instances of this amongst men who are looked 
upon as good planters. Cut yeur holes as deep as 
you like, 18 imches: or more, the sub-soil brought to: 
the surface will be improved by expesure to the atmo- 
sphere, but, before you apply your manure, fall in 
one-half, two-thirds would be better, apply your man- 
ure on that mixed with the earth you cover with, 
aud if you have only two: or three inches of earth 
above the mantre,. you have enough, just sufficient 
to shade it. from the sun and prevent the eseape of 
the ammonia or other nutritious gases evolved during 
the decomposition of the manure. There is more 
money wasted in ignorant and careless manuring than 
proprietors or agents wot of; there is no work re- 
quiring more eareful attention and supervision. Holes: 
should never Be cut nearer than 18 inches or 2 feet 
to the stem for bulky manures. The large roots are 
torn and injured ; often the branches as well, by the 
use of the mamoty too near the tree. If a knife was 
always used. in paring the ends of the roots injured 
in cutting manure holes, water holes, or drains, little 
or no injury would follow: im fact, paring the roots: 
of fruit trees to preduce fresh roots, and foree out: 
fresh wood, is the usual practice at home. It sti- 
mulates the trees, and if these roots to produce fresh 
roots find manure at hand, crop must follow. I am: 
inclined to think that a sharp knife or an adze would 
perhaps answer the purpose better, passed in a semi- 
circle 2 or 3 feet from the tree on the oppesite side: 
of the tree to that on which manure has been applied. 
Cutting all the surface roots to the depth of a few 
inches now and then would improve the quality of 
the sap by cutting off a portion of the supply of 
moisture it is drawing from the soil, and forcing the 
undivided roots on the manured side to assimilate a 
larger proportion of the more nutritive constituents: 
contained in the manure. It is well known that sap- 
im excessive quantities is impoverished and diluted ; 
reduce the quantity and improve the quality at the 
game time, and you will find your blossoms not only 
