MANURING COFFEE. 185 
ON MANURING COFFEE, 
1. Ash of Coffee.—I think Mr. Cochran is mistaken 
in stating the pereentage of ash at 47%. I got some 
‘berries calcined in the Laboratory of King’s College 
last year, and the result was 25°/.. 
2. Sources of Potash.—You have'fallen into a very 
natural error in supposing that I recommended kainit 
salts. The large percentage of common salt in them 
renders them very liable to deliquesce, besides form- 
‘ing a heavy percentage of freight. It is practically 
better and cheaper to use a less quantity of the best 
muriate of potash, an invoice of which lies before me 
giving 88 % of muriate equal to ubout 47°/, pure potash 
against 13 or 14°/, in kainit, the former costing £7 16s — 
the latter £2 10s per ton—freight being the same. 
Both come from Germany, and there is an intermedtae 
sulphate of potash containing 27°/, pure potash to be 
had for £4 15s per ton, which I intend trying. 
3. Lime.—I have observed a disposition in some 
of your correspondents to treat limeas a manure in- 
stead of a fuel or solvent. The old farming proverb 
is a very true one :— 
“‘Time and lime without manure 
Makes both soil and farmer poor.” 
And I would suggest anotber as equally sound :— 
*‘ Hirst manure and then lime, 
Will surely give good crops in time.” 
Can you not calcine your stores of oyster-shells at 
the pearl banks, or coral or limestone nearer at hand, and 
spread afew cwts per acre broadcast every three years? 
in this way you would best digest into soluble food 
the potash in your slowly decomposing felspar, as well 
as the other necessary ingredients in both soils and 
manures, as the Sussex farmers have done by lberally 
liming their stiff Wealden clays. 
4. Phosphates.—You may not be aware that an 
abundant source of phosphate lies within easy reach 
of Ceylon, in what is called the guano of the Laci- 
pede islands off the coast of Western Australia. It 
was & guano ages ago no doubt; innumerable mon- 
seons have washed out the ammonia, and though it 
still resembles guano in colour, it is in reality a 
phosphate, or more correctly, a guano-phosphate, I 
give you the analysis of a sample:— 
IMOISHIBIE, ce. (ot ee D4 AS 
Water of combination 
and organic matter 7°92 
Phosphoric acid ... 28°57=Tribasic phosphate 
Dinter. Me rest ee Oe of lime 62°37 
Oxide ofiron... ... 3°48 
Insoluble matter ... 00°69 
100°00 
