( 13 ) 
the former district, the tree does not come into 
full bearing, before it is seven years old, whilst 
in the latter, this takes place in one half the 
time ; and the longevity of the tree bears a more 
remarkable difference ; in the one, fields are to 
be teen now [in cultivation upwards of half 
a century old, whilst in the other fifteen years 
may be taken as the mean age. Soil does not 
of itself create this strange difference, as the 
same indications of favorable moulds are to be 
seen in each district, but it may the rather be at¬ 
tributed to the difference of climate. In the up¬ 
per districts, where Coffee plantations have been 
established below the range of the Blue Moun¬ 
tains, the temperature, though cold and bleak, 
is dry and healthy, whilst in St. Thomas in the 
Vale, where the lands lay considerably lower, the 
atmosphere is warm, though damp, and visited 
with a continuous supply of rains and fogs. 
The most difficult and yet highly important 
portion of plantation management, consists in 
the due attention which is required to keep the 
fields regularly and properly pruned. This is a 
subject upon which planters are seldom found 
to agree—each one has his own peculiar system 
of pruning : some recommend heavy cuttings, 
others slight pruning, and not a few no pruning 
at all. Amid such a jargon of opposite opi¬ 
nions, we must adopt the motto—“ in medio 
tutissiraus. ” In my opinion, one of the many 
evils which has been inflicted on this country, 
has resulted from the injudicious and indisereet 
mode of management which was pursued upon 
plantations. Whilst large tracts of woodland 
were at command little or no attention was 
paid to the keeping in cultivation of old 
