COFFEE CULTIVATION AND MANURING, 153 
“‘T am well aware that covering for protection is 
and must be extensively practised, but that is quite 
a different thing from manuring, and the materials 
used for that purpose are fresh enough in all con- 
science, being seldom anything better than half wet 
straw, and as often grass, leaves, branches, in fact 
anything come-at-able that will answer the purpose, 
and which serves exactly the same end as mana grass 
spread amongst coffee, and I suppose every one knows 
how much the juices of mana grass enrich the soil. 
But the manure, which is spread on the surface as a 
manure, is well-rotted cattle dung a year old at least 
and allowed to lie on the surface till it has served 
the purpose for which it was applied, when, if the 
soil be such as become hard or caked, what remains 
of the manure is mixed with the soil, more to keep 
it open and to admit other influences than for any 
good the tree can derive from the bleached manure. 
I never heard it disputed, but that rocky land gener. 
ally was best for coffee, and I have seen coffee grow- 
ing on sheet. rock with not more than a foot of soil, 
hsving less soft spongy wood and invariably a few 
more berries than their neighbours who were rejoic- 
ing in all the glory of tap and sub-soil roots. And 
I have seen trees with not more than 6 in. of soil 
giving more crop than trees twice the size differently 
situated. I have examined old coffee, which for se- 
veral years had given very little crop though manured, 
and looking well, annually showing lots of blossom, 
and found the roots to the depth of a few inches. 
numerous and healthy, below that they were less 
numerous and appeared unhealthy, entering the sub- 
soil in every direction, more especially downwards. 
I have looked into the 18-inch holes where two years 
before a basket of good cattle dung had been put 
and found at the bottom a thin layer of black stuff 
with a few roots looking very rueful indeed at being 
forced to seek their food in such unkindly quarters.” 
Another planter very properly says that one great 
secret in applying manure is to have it thoroughly 
mixed with the soil. Some very suggestive remarks 
sent by Mr. Thwaites, Director of the Botanic Gar- 
den to Mr. Sabonadiére may be given here :— 
‘It is a great pity you cannot devise some plan 
for keeping your land pretty much as you get it 
from the virgin forest, but in the first place by burn- 
ing, you get rid of an immense amount of valuable 
plant-nourishment on the trees and upon the ground, 
and then you lose still more by the wash from the 
surface during rain. Nature manages much better in 
her plantations. By her the soil is protected from 
being washed away by a pavement of fallen leaves, 
