COFFEE CULTIVATION AND MANURING. 123 
and expose them on the surface or have them removed. 
A few cuttings of the young fronds close to the ground 
would no doubt also soon kill this fern. 
“Kern.” —Farn-kraut, German ;—fearn, Saxon ;— 
jilix, Latin ;—is a plant of the cryptogamous class, 
and though the kind is numerous, only one vegetable 
comes under the notice of agriculture, the Pteris 
aquilina of botany, or the common bracken. It grows 
on soils of good quality, and is very generally dif- 
fused over heaths and uncultivated grounds. The 
roots spread horizontally and go deeply into the ground, 
and are often difficult of extirpation—frequent mov- 
ing of the young plants, and ploughing and dunging 
have been recommended, and above all, the pouring 
of urine upon them—sheep folded on fern ground will 
banish them by means of the dung and urine. fern 
has a salt, mucilaginous taste, and is used for thatch, 
for heating ovens, and mixing with bread, and for 
being brewed into ale. It is very astringent, and 
used in preparing kid and chamois leather. The ashes 
of ferns afford a large quantity of salt, about one- 
ninth of their weight, chiefly the sulphate and sub- 
carbonate of potash. One thousand parts of the plant 
cut in August and thoroughly dried afforded 36°46 
of ashes, which yielded by lixiviation 4°5 of salt. 
1000 parts of fern gave 116 lb. of saline matter, and 
100 parts gave 3°224 of earths, 400781 of ashes, and 
0°6259 of potash: 10,000 parts contain 62 of potash. 
Ferns are dried for being used as litter for cattle, 
and must be laid in the bottoms of the yards, and 
in very moist places, as they remain long unchanged. 
The organization must be completely saturated. The 
ashes are a good top dressing. The plants must be 
cut while green, as the alkali escapes from the with- 
ered plant by every shower that falls. Where 
ferns abound, a good litter may be got from them, 
and the dried plants may be cut into lengths by the 
straw-cutting machines which will much facilitate the 
reduction of the tough fibrous texture.” 
THE PROPER MODE OF APPLYING MANURE 
TO THE COFFEE TREE, 
Delta, Pussellawa, June 30. 
Dear Sir,—The following remarks addressed to me 
by Mr. John Ward, a planter of 26 years’ experi- 
ence, are well worthy of insertion in your journal. 
I requested him to send me his views on the sub- 
ject of ‘‘Surface Manuring,” and eent him the letters 
lately published in the Observer for his information, 
