COFFEE CULTIVATION AND MANURING. 131 
surface manuring is practicable, then that system will 
pay better than the hole-cutting one. But if proper 
precautions be taken, such places will not be very numer- 
ous, and will generally be found as unsuited for hole cut- 
ting. However, the existence of such unsuitable places 
is no more an objection to the surface application of 
manure, than is the fact that some districts are unsuited 
for pruning, any objection to that work being carried 
on where desirable. High cultivation without man- 
ure ought to precede high cultivation with man- 
ure, and, if we don’t want to waste money and time, 
there is little wse talking either about ‘Orum’ or 
its application, till we have first drained, dug, and 
introduced hand weeding. Further, we have been 
recommended, excepting in very exceptional circum- 
stances, to apply our manure not on the surface, but 
in deep holes, in order that the coffee tree may be 
persuaded to strike its roots deep down into the soil. 
Now as it is admitted that the coffee tree roots 
naturally prefer to spread cut near the surface, this 
theory of root deflection must be somewhat opposed 
to their natural tendency. The reasons then given 
to induce us thus to cross nature, ought to be very 
strong indeed. What then are they? ‘The first rea- 
son alleged is because the feeding ground will be ex- 
tended. But cannot this object be obtained in some 
other and more satisfactory way. Instead of leading 
the roots down into an often cold, stagnant, airless 
sub-soil, why not simply dig and bring up portions 
of that sub-soil to the roots, and thus at the same 
time subject it to the improving influence of the sun 
and atmosphere. In its own humble sphere, do we 
not expect the coffee tree to do something better than 
search for food? The more we study its convenience, 
the less trouble we give it in administering to its 
grosser wants, the better will we find the grateful 
tree repay us in its higher labour, the production of 
crop. The second reason is because leading the roots 
down in search of the artificially supplied manure 
in the deep holes, keeps them out of harm’s way 
being more or less protected against wash and drought, 
We need not now discuss wash, because there need 
be no wash. But as regards drought does deflection 
help the roots, that is the tree, to withstand drought, 
for of course to suppose that eighteen inches of hot 
dry soil will perfectly shelter roots from our droughts 
is out of the question. Or, take the converse. Jt is 
a fact that roots near the surface suffer more from 
heat and dryness than roots growing deeper down. 
_Perhaps they may, if proper cultivation be not carried 
on. But wherever the soil is clean, surface manured 
and regularly forked, I believe they will not. Most 
