es as a rule are poor, there are many instances where the top of a
ridge, from being pretty wide, is rich, though the sides of it for a
little way down are nearly always poor. I have lately been minutely
examining old forest land, with the view of removing top soil from it, and
have been much struck with the variation in the depth of the rich surface
soil.

We have next to consider the time of year at which manure should be
applied to the land, and here we shall find that the planter, like the
farmer, often has to do things when he can, and not when he should, and
though, from the risk of loss by wash alone, there can be no doubt that
all manures should be put down after the heavy rains of the monsoon are
over, it is difficult to see how this can be carried out in the case of
bulk manures, on account of the difficulty of getting enough labour to at
once cope with the ordinary estate work, and apply a class of manure which
absorbs so much hand labour. Then there is the difficulty of carting
manure at that season when the roads, which are not macadamized, would be
cut to pieces. But this difficulty could be overcome were a sufficient
number of storage sheds provided to which the manure might be carted
during the dry season. But the sheds would cost a good deal of money, and
the cost of the manure would be increased by the cost of extra handling,
or in other words putting the manure in the sheds and taking it out again.
So that I am inclined to think that it would be better to apply, by direct
cartage from the cattle sheds, as much bulk manure as can be applied in
the month of September, and the remainder at any convenient time after
crop. Another great objection to applying manure after crop, and before
the monsoon, is, that you stimulate the growth of the weeds which spring
up with the early rains, and also much growth of suckers, and superfluous
wood in the coffee, all of which have to be handled off at considerable
expense, whereas, it is hardly necessary to say, that the weed growth is
smaller at the end of the monsoon, and the force of the plant directed
rather to the maturing of the berry than the growth of surplus wood. But
in the case of light manures such as bones and castor cake, there is no
difficulty in applying them in September, and an effort should certainly
be made to put them down then. Another advantage of manuring at the end of
the monsoon would be that the planter could then clearly perceive what
trees