Oct. 2, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
223 
AN UNIQUE COFFEE PLANTATION (OK 
GAEDEN OF lo ACRES). 
The visitor to what are commonly termed " the 
planting districts " of Southern Inpia is not sur- 
prised to see Coffee growing more or less luxuriantly, 
be he in certain parts of Mysore, in Coorg or the 
Wynaad, or on ^he Nilgiri Hills ; but the visitor to 
Bangalore is not usually aware that he may B«e 
coffee thriving and bearing plentiful crops within 
but a short distance of " the city of beans." Yet 
such is the case. Climatic difficulties have been 
overcome, and the growth of the coffee shrub from 
the seed to the heavily-laden plant weighted with 
ripe berries may be as satisfactorily observed near, 
Bangalore as on the larger plantations which are to 
be found in other parts of Southern India. Experience 
has shown that, as regards rainfall, the distribution 
riither than the quantity that falls during the year 
is of the greatest importance in the cultivation of 
Coffee. In il\ sore and Coorg, owing to the length- 
ened periods of drought that occur, elaborate ar- 
rangements which are the result of many years of 
experience and patient study, have been made for 
shading the estates with carefully selected varieties 
of trees which are either left standing when jungle 
is cleared or are systematically planted and annually 
lopped and regulated in accordance with the requ re- 
ments of the Coffee below them. The class of soil, 
its physic 1 condition and inherent fertility have 
each an important bearing on success in coffee 
cultivation; the most favour ible conditions being 
usually found in forest land wliere the maiiurial 
wealth of ages has been accumulated by the drop 
ping of the fruit, leaves and bark of trees, and by 
the decay of a luxuriant undergrowth. Art, however, 
has learnt to assist Nature. What may be termed 
an unique example of the truth of this is visible 
at Bangalore, where that enterprising gentleman, 
Mr. Meenatchee Iyer, now Acting Judge of the My- 
sore High Court, h is solved the problem of growing 
coffee, at a fair altitude it is true, but in a climate 
where a low average ot rainfall is accom; anied by 
heat which would be considered by many planters 
fatal to the development and fruition sf the coffee 
shrub. Mr. Meenatchee !yer's successful experiment, 
which affords a new example of the potentialities 
of irrigation, has been rightly described as of the 
utmost importance to the State of Mysore. We 
have reason to believe that recent progress has been 
watched and criticised by many coffte planters ; aud 
there is a possibility that the example set will be 
followed by other enterprising gentlemen, Europeans 
and Natives, who having witnessed what has been 
done at Rochdale Park, within three miles of Ban- 
galore, on level ground, will try to emulate the efforts 
of Mr. Meenatchee Iyer, able lawyi-r, wise councillor, 
good Judge, and — as is now shown — successful pio- 
neer ill a new branch of coffee cultivation. 
While in Bangalore last week a representative 
of this ' aper took an opportunity to visit the estate 
referred to. The courteous proprietor showed him 
over the wliole place, giving most interesting parti- 
culars of his experiments and experiences, and en- 
tering upon explanations which showed that he had 
made a careful study of boolc: on coffee cultivation, 
had icceived and availed himself of useful hints from 
experienced planters, and had followed the trowth 
of the estate with a zeal and enthusiasm which in 
themselves mark him out as a man who deserves 
to be successful. Knowing the age of each batch 
of plants, acquainted with the minutest detail of 
cultivation, from the nursery to the full grown aud 
fruit-bearing shrub, Mr Meenatcliee Iyer has throu- 
out conducted on business principles an experiment 
which some of his friends perhaps regarded at the 
outset as unpractical. .Apparently, however, he 
still regards his coffee plantation as an eyperiinoit ; 
at any rate, he is still anxious to hear the opi- 
nions expressed upon it by more experienced planters. 
In tiiis connection it need nly be said here that 
excellent as is the general condition of the coffee, 
there is reason to believe that some few improve- 
ments will be introdncefl from time to time." For 
instance, there is room for criticism in respect 
of shade trees. The trees used are mentioned else- 
where ; but it is open to question whether they are 
the best that are available. In Mysore there is 
every facility for obtaining other varieties of ex- 
cellent sha le trees, and with few exceptions those 
be onging to the Ficu.-! tribe are the bfst, although 
the Oenmdliciay or Noaya (Canarese for " yoke " — 
Ccdrela toona) is greatly used to fill immediate and 
tempera y requirements. 
The following details of the Rochdale Park estate 
will probably interest our planting readers: — 
First Experiments. 
Nine years have passed since Mr. Meenatchee Iyer 
started a coffee plantation in the vicinity of Banga- 
lore with a view to see how the shrub would suc- 
ceed under irrigation. He started with 170 plants. 
They turned out well, but it was some time before 
he added to their number. At the outset he had 
been warned that the coffee might d > well for two 
or three years, but would then, in all probability , 
die away. Predictions of this stamp were falsified, 
however, and in course of time 1,500 plants were 
added to the original 170. This second batch com- 
prises trees which are now four years old, having 
been planted three years ago after having spent one 
year in the nursery. Another batch consists of 2,500 
trees, now three years old, i.e., planted two years 
ago. Tfiere are also 2,500 trees planted 14 months 
ago and now about 2i years old. This year, within 
the last three months, Mr. Meenatchee Iyer has 
planted 9,000. He states that he has now a total 
of about 18,000 plants, on 15 acres of ground. How 
thoroughly the oldest of these have falsified pessi- 
mistic prophecies, is shown in the fact that at nine 
years of a^e they are so strong and healthy as to 
give good promise of flousishing for another twenty 
years at least. The estate stands about 3,020 feet 
above sea level, The shrubs are planted 6 feet apart. 
The soil in which they stand is mostly red earth, 
but it is sandy at a little distance below the sur- 
face and is strengthened by the addition of a mix- 
ture of red earth with tank silt. At the present 
time it is decidedly hard, so much so, that an ex- 
perienced planter recently declared that, but for 
irrigation, no coffee could grow in such soil. It doea 
grow, however, and this despite other conditions 
not exactly favourable to its success. The average 
annual rainfall in the locality is not more than 30 
inches. In normal seasons, the minimum temper- 
ature is 58°, the maximum 90°, as recorded on an 
upstair verandah of the proprietors's house, which 
stands within the plantation. 
The Iehigaticn System. 
The most interesting feature of the experiment 
is^ of course, the irrigation of the soil, which ren- 
ders the property almost wholly independent of 
blossom shuwers. The system employed is for the 
most part that of drawing water from wells, by 
means of piccottahs, but three of the wells on the 
plantation are provided with l-appiUaK. These are 
seldom used except in the hottest weather when the 
level of water in the well is so low as to render 
raising by means of the piccottah difficult. There 
are altogether 7 wells used in connection with the 
coffee, but Mr. Meenatchee Iyer has a toal of 18 
wells for coffee cultivation and other purposes. The 
7 wells were not constructed specially to aid coft'ee 
cultivation ; they were originally intended for sngar- 
cane and coconuts, which were formerly grown oa 
the land. The supply of water from the seven is, 
however, more than enough for the coffee. In fact, 
the proprietor considers that he has "a luxury of 
wells." He thinks that the 15 acres could be irri- 
gated by 4 wells. Of the seven now in use, one i« 
H9 feet in diameter, three are 20 feet in dia-meter, 
aud three are under 20 feet. The deepe^^t is 35 feet, 
another 2.") feet, another 20 feet, another 13, another 11, 
and the rest (j to 7 feet. Irrigation is practised during 
the hot weather, and when the spring goes below 30 
feet from ttie surface of the well the lajipillu is used. 
A comnr^'ntt r.iWt is usually mftde with irrigation 
