136 COFFEE CULTIVATION AND MANURING. 
ing composts with ditch-souring, earths, weeds, &c., 
as it hastens the decomposition of the vegetable mat- 
ters, liberates alkalies, destroys the vitality of seeds, 
roots, &c., and kills vermin, besides itself contribut- 
ing to the fertilizing effects of the mixture.” | 
Mr. F. Pogson, of the Punjaub, writing to the 
Madras Times, on the subject of manures for coffee, 
made the following remarks :— 
‘“What coffee requires is a compost which will 
easily dissolve in water (after being applied as a top- 
dressing to the soil), and so be carried down within 
reach of the roots and rootlets of the growing plants. 
It may perhaps not be generally known that the best 
manure for a plant is a solution of itself; and as this 
is not always forthcoming, the next best manure is 
an imitation thereof or a something which contains 
the elements or constituents of that plant; and as 
these are chiefly mineral matters, which are present 
in very small quantities in cowdung, it is unreason- 
able to expect first-class coffee berries from leaf-form- 
ing properties. We know from analysis that the best 
‘ Java coffee’ is remarkably rich in magnesia, of which 
cowdung does not contain even a trace; and as a 
consequence the growing coffee plant suffers from the 
deficiency. The common salt and sulphuric acid so 
largely present in coffee cannot be provided by cow- 
dung, nor yet can it supply the very large quantity 
of potash needed by the leaves and berries of this plant.’ 
Mr. Pogson then professed to be able to show how 
such a compost could be made readily and cheaply 
in Ceylon, where the components are abundant—if 
he were sufficiently rewarded. But his plan has not 
as yet been made public. He added :— 
‘“‘T give beneath an analysis of coffee from which 
you will see that unless the mineral matters named 
are present in the soi: and manure, good coffee can- 
not be produced. The deterioration of coffee planta- 
tions is due to the plant having exhausted the soil 
from constant cropping without proper manuring :— 
Analysis of best Java Coffee (Lehmann). 
Potash op ‘a Ra GIy) 
Lime se bate mine ears) 
Magnesia ta ae 5a MOE 
Peroxide of Iron Ke setae (02225) 
Phosphoric Acid ses .. 10°02 
Sulphuric Acid si aw. 401 
Silicic Acid... a ek eis 
Carbonic Acid ... — ... 20°00 
Salt, Culinary ... <s vo LOS 
Soda ba ais .. 0°00 
‘Yharcoal and Sand e054 we «=6.: D499 
