the soil of Sao Paulo is not in itself very rich. It has an
insufficient quantity of fertilizing substances, particularly of lime;
but it should not be forgotten that locality and climatic conditions must
be taken into serious consideration, and that we must not be misled by
the difference between the apparent and the real fertility of the soil.
What would be a poor soil in Europe may prove to be an excellent one in a
tropical country. So the famous "red earth" of Sao Paulo, which in a
drier climate would be sterile and unproductive, is there excellent
because of its extremely permeable, porous and powdery qualities.

The special terms used for naming the different kinds of earth suitable
for the cultivation of coffee are: _terra roxa_ (red earth), _massape_,
_salmorao_, _catanduva_, _terra de areia_ (sand earth), _picarra_ (stony
earth), and _pedreguelho_ (stony earth).

The _terra roxa_ is an argillaceous, ferruginous earth of diabasic
origin, occasionally mixed with sand. It contains salicylic acid, oxide
of iron, alumina, phosphoric acid, oxide of manganese, lime, magnesia,
potash and soda.

The _massape_, originally decomposed gneiss-granitic rock mixed with
clay, contains oxide of iron. Its occasional blackness is due to the
decomposed vegetable matter it embodies.

The _salmorao_ includes in its formation small stones indicating the
incomplete decomposition of the rock from which it originates.

The _catanduva_--which is of inferior quality--is composed of much
disintegrated vegetable matter and fine dust.

The names of the other kinds of earth well denote their quality.

One reason why coffee cultivation is so popular in Brazil is because of
the general belief that no trouble is required to look after the trees--a
very mistaken notion indeed. There is a marked difference between
plantations carefully looked after and those that are not. More than
usual care must be taken to select the seed for new plantations. The
young plants must get strong in a nursery and then be transplanted into
proper soil, the prudent distance between trees being generally from 9 to
12 ft. For the convenience of collecting the beans and keeping the soil
clean, a perfect alignment in all directions is necessary. The most
suitable month for planting coffee in Brazil, according to the authority
of Dr. Dafert, is the month of July.

Great care must be taken of the trees themselves and of the soil around
the trees, which must be kept