182 COFFEE CULTIVATION. 
disease, and this I submit is demonstrated more by 
the absence of rootlets than anything else. Ten 
years ago the ground was a perfect network of feed- 
ing rootlets, and the moisture in the soil was as a 
natural consequence absorbed more thoroughly. Now, 
what have we? Trees with not half the number of 
roots, water accumulates, sours the soil, the roots are 
damaged, and grub accomplish the rest. But you will 
say—‘ Stop a moment, how is it that the coffee tree 
of 1880 is so weak and unhealthy? To this, of course, 
I can only say what I believe to be the origin and 
that is leaf disease. In my opinion the continued 
attacks of this fungus have had a weakening effect 
on the offspring, and as a proof of this I would ask you 
to go with me over any one of the clearings opened 
last year or even the year before. Select your own, 
let it be either in the young or old districts. Shew 
me one that can compare with the clearings of four 
or five years ago. But perhaps the failure of these 
clearings is due to bad plants or bad work. To this 
1 reply that although a combination of these two evils 
is sufficient to account for the failure of a few, 
it is not likely that all the clearings last year 
laboured under similar disadvantanges, and yet I 
can honestly say I don’t know one that can hold 
a candle to the fine luxuriant fields of young 
coffee we were so proud of a few years ago. Then 
again taken the nurseries. Four or five years ago, 
nothing was easier than to raise successful coffee 
nurseries ; now a good one is the exception not 
the rule. “Tis true we have not been half careful 
enough in the selection of seed, and I quite agree 
with you that in future disinfecting should be always 
resorted to, but how do you account for the fact that 
the parchment is now so inferior to what it used to 
be? All the brokers will tell youthat the samples 
this year have been vilely bad. 
‘*Now a word or two about grub. I donot at all 
agree with Mr, Dixon, but I do think that in the 
case of Maskeliya and parts of Dimbula, other agen- 
cies are at work, and it is the damaged condition of 
the roots that first attracts them—once there, they 
are not very particular and demolish good as well as 
bad. An abnormal supply of moisture in the soil 
has I believe more to do with our misfortunes than 
anything else—it rots the roots and sours the soil, 
Close planting is,in my opinion, the best remedy, for 
I see no other way of getting sufficient roots to ab- 
sorb it. Jaime and cultivation generally have been 
tried on several places with little or no effect. Plant- 
ers will say, the objection to close planting is that - 
