COFFEE. 



41 



gets covered with black bug; the two latter being chiefly caused 

 by the extreme quantity of rain that falls. He sums up with the 

 opinion that a dark chocolate-coloured soil, mixed with small stones, 

 under ledges of rock, and bestrewn with boulders, is the most suitable 

 for coffee trees ; and that the best medium elevation is, say 3000 

 feet above the level of the sea. In forming a nursery one bushel 

 of parchment coffee is calculated to yield about 30,000 plants ; 

 so that for a clearing of 100 acres four or five bushels of seed would 

 be required. The placing of the plants in the holes is the one ope- 

 ration that requires the utmost care and attention. The planting 

 season commences in May and extends to the end of November. 



Those who intend to embark in coffee culture in Ceylon, should 

 certainly procure a copy of Mr. Sabonadiere's ' Coffee Planter in 

 Ceylon,' published by E. and F. N. Spon, London. 



Mr. E. J. Corbet, an experienced coffee planter, thus speaks of 

 manuring and pruning, observations which are worth attention : 



" The 'Eothschild estate,' thirty years planted, consists of 927 acres 

 of coffee in bearing ; the number of cattle kept was about three hundred 

 and fifty head and nearly one hundred pigs ; besides the high road 

 which forms one boundary of the property, two cart roads traverse the 

 whole length of the estate, greatly facilitating manuring operations. 

 From 1865, when the Ceylon Company, Limited, purchased the estate 

 from the Messrs. Worms, to 1871, the crops averaged 9^ cwts. per 

 acre, two out of the six reached 11 J cwts. per acre. One-third of the 

 estate is planted on patna soil ; but in Puselawa patna soils are above 

 the average, though still requiring annual manuring. Enough manure 

 was made on the estate, including cattle, pig, pulpers, bazaar, road, 

 and lines' sweepings, all made into a compost, to go over 250 acres. 

 Castor oil poonac (oilcake), bone-dust, or superphosphate of lime, and 

 other artificial manures sufficient for 300 or 400 acres were applied 

 besides, but for the portions planted in patna soil, manuring half the 

 estate yearly, would have been enough to keep up the average yield 

 of between 9 and 10 cwts. per acre. 



" The result of my experience on that and other estates ranging from 

 500 up to 5000 feet, extending as far back as twenty years, have 

 convinced me of the following facts, which cannot be too strongly 

 impressed upon those who may have the lesson to learn. 



"1st. That all manures should be applied as near the surface as pos- 

 sible without actual exposure, and round the tree where practicable, 

 but not too near, 



" 2nd. That care should be taken to avoid injuring the main lateral 

 roots as much as practicable. 



" 3rd. That thoroughly mixing, or incorporating the manures, of 

 whatever nature, in the trench is a most important point, a not un- 

 common method being to throw the manure in a lump into the hole, 

 which is usually about twice the depth necessary, trample it down 

 perhaps, and cover it over, upon the principle, T suppose, ' out of 

 sight, out of mind.' There is more money sunk in ignorant and 

 careless systems of manuring, and in severe and injudicious pruning, 

 than proprietors think. Too severe pruning, especially upon the 

 higher estates over 3000 or 3500 feet, has much to do with short 



