COFFEE. 



63 



the formation of a coffee plantation, the actual placing of the plants 

 in thje holes is the one that requires the utmost care and attention. 

 Early planting is, of course, desirable, because the trees have the 

 benefit of the entire rainy season, and are sure to give a larger 

 maiden crop. The usual course of transferring the plant is as 

 follows : When pulled up, those with crooked roots should be picked 

 out and thrown away, the roots should then be trimmed with a sharp 

 knife, diminishing the length of the tap-root sufficiently to prevent 

 the chance of its being bent or broken. The plant should not be put 

 deeper into the earth than it was before it was pulled up ; it must 

 then be pressed down with the hands or firmly trodden down. A 

 coffee plantation, to be worked effectively, requires to be well 

 "roaded" and drained. Drains, like roads and paths, should be 

 cut as soon as the estate is commenced. 



The extension of coffee cultivation in the hill districts of Southern 

 India has been very remarkable. It was commenced experimentally 

 in the Wynaad in 1840, and in 1862 there were 9932 acres under 

 cultivation in that district alone. In 1865 Wynaad coffee cultivation 

 had increased to 200 estates, covering 14,613 acres. The exports in 

 1860-61 amounted to 19,119,209 lbs., and coffee cultivation has since 

 become a very important and increasing source of wealth. In 1873 

 the total number of holdings was 6913, of which 195 belonged to 

 Europeans, and 6718 to natives. The estimated produce of the 

 Wynaad for 1873 was 83,500 cwts. 



In 1874-5 the extent of coffee cultivation in Wynaad had increased 

 to 32,180 acres. The total value of the land under cultivation was 

 965,430/., and the amount expended annually in coolies' wages alone 

 was 182,500/. ; other expenses in connection with cultivation, carriage, 

 and shipment of crops, amounted to 100,000Z. There were altogether 

 117 European planters, 16 of whom were in North Wynaad, 74 in 

 South Wynaad, and 27 in South-East Wynaad. 



In the mountainous province of Coorg the cultivation of coffee by 

 European enterprise was commenced in 1854, and there are now 

 73,306 acres under cultivation. 



On the Malabar coast some excellent coffee is grown, as well as in 

 the hilly regions of Mysore and on the slopes of the Neilgherries. 

 From these two latter places the finest growths of coffee are now 

 being raised, more especially from Mysore, the prices obtained being 

 considerably more than for Mocha. Very good specimens of coffee 

 have also been produced in the interior of India, as in the district of 

 Chota Nagpore, where the culture might apparently be greatly ex- 

 tended, and be of great benefit for consumption locally. The planta- 

 tions of Mysore number 23,871, and cover 111,139 acres ; of these, 

 307 belong to Europeans, with 34,377,509 coffee plants on the 

 estates, the rest (23,564) to natives ; these are small, the gardens 

 ranging from about 3^ acres, but they have in all 87,779,620 trees. 



The quantity of coffee exported in the year 1873-4 was 2749 tons ; 

 in the following year the quantity increased to 3316 tons. 



With 111,139 acres under coffee, it seems strange that the export 

 from Mysore should be only 66,320 cwts., or a fraction over half 

 a hundredweight per acre. Probably the home consumption of the 



