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JOURNAL, R.A.S, (CEYLON). [VOL. II., PART IL 



in which they occur in the greatest quantity, they will 

 stand thus : — ■ 



Lime. | Magnesia. 



Potash. Phosphoric acid. 



Other acids. 



Of these, lime is by far the most prominent, forming about 

 sixty per cent, of the whole. 



I cannot help, therefore, arriving at the conclusion that to 

 cultivate coffee with any degree of success the first-named 

 substance must be present in the soil, or, if not present, must 

 be supplied to it by some process. 



Now, it is a singular fact that the rocks and soils of Ceylon 

 are greatly deficient in alkaline matter, and taking this 

 view of the case, one no longer wonders that many estates 

 cease to produce coffee. That all, or nearly all, the planta- 

 tions did in their first year or two of bearing produce liberally 

 in fruit may readily be accounted for by the fact that the 

 alkaline poverty of the soil was enriched by the burning of 

 the vast quantities of timber which lay felled on all sides. 

 Whilst this temporary supply lasted, all was well with the 

 planter. Heavy rains and frequent scrapings of the steep 

 land by the mamoty soon dissipated this scanty supply, and 

 short crops are now the consequence. 



But nature, ever bountiful, ever ready to compensate for 

 all deficiencies, has provided to our hands a ready means of 

 remedying this evil of the soil by scattering throughout 

 most parts of the interior supplies of dolomitic limestone. 

 The dolomite of Ceylon is not pure, — far from it, —being 

 mixed freely with apatite or phosphate of lime. Even in 

 this very accidental circumstance the coffee planter is aided ; 

 for the phosphoric acid thus combined with the limestone 

 is the very substance required in addition. Some of the 

 finest properties in the Island are situated on a limestone 

 bottom, and these no doubt will continue to yield abundant 

 crops for a very long period. 



