li4 COFFEE CULTIVATION AND MANURING. 
the medium of your columns to make some remarks 
upon two communications which have lately appeared 
in your paper: viz., ‘‘ Conversation between a Shuck 
Coffee Tree and its Master,” and a letter signed 
‘““Orum.” You are correct in stating that the publi- 
cation of such letters does much good, there is a good 
deal in both these communications worthy the serious 
consideration of planters; and I can only express my ~ 
hope that the valuable hints there given will be largely 
availed of. At the sume time as planters like doc- 
tors disagree, I will proceed to explain on what 
points I do not entirely agree with ‘‘Orum,” and, as 
a planter of 26 years’ experience, I trust I shall not 
be considered presumptuous in stating my opinion. 
Much ‘as ‘‘Shuck Coffee Tree” and ‘‘Orum” de- 
precate the use of holes for the application of manure, 
it cannot be denied that the process where proverly 
carried out has hitherto been a success. I can myself 
vouch for the effects of cattle manure lasting three 
years when so applied, and wherever I have so buried 
artificial manures, they have also yielded good results. 
I quite agree with the writers in question, too deep 
holes are not the correct proceeding, and that the 
cutting of the large roots is very injurious ; but there 
is ‘‘a happy medium” in ail things. I have always 
thought that holes for cattle manure or pulp should 
be cut one foot deep, and artificial manure holes six 
inches deep, and ‘‘care must be taken not to injure 
the large roots.” I contend that such holes are not 
too deep for the generality of our estates, where the 
land is more or less steep, as the manure when thus 
applied does get to the feeding roots, Whilst I say 
so much in defence of the past, I quite agree with 
“‘Orum” and ‘‘Shuck Coffee Tree” in believing that 
to apply the manure on the surface of the bared roots 
would be even more effective and certainly quicker 
in yielding results. Still even with drains to every 
eight rows, I fear that most of our coffee lands are 
too steep for sucha process. I would therefore adopt 
the surface manure plan on flat and slightly sloping 
fields, but would adhere to the old system of holes 
am steep land: being careful not to make them deeper 
than the level of the lowest fibrovs roots, and taking 
special care by using quintanies in leu of mamoties, 
to prevent the main roots being cut. All planters 
know the awful thunderstorms we usually get in April 
and October of each year, and what the weight of 
rain and the wash then are, sweeping everything as it 
were before them. I hardly think that on such occ:- 
sions in steep fields, even in closely drained land, 
manure applied to the surface and only slightly co- 
vered over could be otherwise than washed away from 
