COFFEE. 
115 
allowing the air to move freely amongst the trees 
and the sunlight to enter, as well as for convenience 
in picking the berries. 
7 . “ Then at each peg we prepared a place for a 
tree. With a stout iron digger — about three feet 
long and an inch thick — we broke up the ground 
round about the peg to a good depth, and picked 
out all the stones and roots. As the soil on the 
higher mountains is loose enough to let the water 
through freely, this plan answered very well. 
8. “ But if you are about to plant in the lowlands, 
where the soil is stiff, it is necessary to dig holes 
nearly two feet wide and deep. For a few weeks 
these should be left open to the air, that its action 
on the subsoil may form fresh plant-food. Then 
they should be filled in with surface-soil, free from 
stones.” 
COFFEE.— II. 
l. “ But I must go on to tell of my Blue Moun- 
tain crop. We planted out the seedlings, taking 
great care to keep their tap-roots straight, and their 
fibrous roots well spread out. 
“ Our chief work for a time was to keep down 
the weeds, for coffee cannot thrive where these are 
intruding. We mostly used the weeds as a green- 
crop manure, by burying them in holes dug between 
the young trees. 
