No. 5.— 1849.] COFFEE OF CEYLON. 



133 



It has been urged against this opinion, that in some dis- 

 tricts where coffee planting has proved a complete failure, 

 dolomite is found most abundantly; but I have very little 

 doubt that the dolomite here alluded to is only magnesian 

 limestone, of which a great deal exists in the Central 

 Province, and which is most inimical to the coffee bush. 



I am aware that already several manures have been tried 

 on coffee with varying degrees of success. Guano has, I 

 believe, quite failed, and is, besides, very costly. Cattle 

 manure is said to be effective, and no doubt it is ; but it is a 

 costly and troublesome affair. Bones, ground fine, are now 

 being tried, though they cannot but prove most expensive, 

 especially when imported. 



A ton of bone dust consists of : — 



Animal matter ... 746 lb. 



Phosphates of lime, &c. ... 1,245 lb. 

 Carbonates of lime, &c. ... 249 lb. 



The virtue of bones lays in the phosphates far more than in 

 the animal matter, and thus their action on soils is felt for 

 many years after their application. The Sinhalese cultiva- 

 tors of paddy about Colombo and Galle appear to have been 

 long aware of the fertilising effects of this kind of manure, 

 and import the article in dhonies from many parts of the 

 coast. They bruise them coarsely before applying them. 



The partially decomposed husks of the coffee berry have 

 been tried for some years, and successfully; but they are 

 difficult of collection and bulky to remove from one part of 

 the estate to the other. 



In Europe it would appear that little is yet known as to 

 the causes of the fertilising effects of oil-cake : some suppose 

 them to arise mainly from the oil left by the crushing process, 

 but this is not at all clear. I do not, however, see that we 

 must look for much assistance from poonac as a manure 

 for coffee ; for the cocoanut tree it is doubtless most 



b 2 



