es felled, leaving everything on the land to rot. This method while
costing much less than burning up everything, makes it more expensive to
lay out and plant the land. The planter must decide for himself which of
the two methods he will pursue. However, it can be said in the case of
those who only cut and fell, in a few years everything, trees, vines and
ferns rot down and greatly increase the fertility of the soil. The next
thing is to lay out the land for the digging of the holes where it is
intended to set out the young trees. There is a wide diversity of
opinion as to the proper distance apart to plant coffee trees. From
10x12 feet down to 5x6 and all intermediate distances are practiced. It
is a significant fact that planters who formerly planted their trees at
the wider distances are now setting out trees as close as 6x5. Trees
planted 6x6 will probably yield better results per acre than trees
planted at a wider or closer distance. Having fixed upon the distance
apart the trees are to be planted, the planter proceeds to mark with
pegs the places where he wants the holes dug. This is usually done with
a line or rope that has pieces of red rag fastened in the strands, at
the distance apart at which it is intended to dig the holes. The line is
drawn tightly across one end of the clearing and a peg driven into the
soil at every place that is marked on the line. The men, holding the two
ends of the line, are each provided with a stick the exact length that
the rows are to be apart. After one row is pegged, the line is advanced
one length of the stick and the operation repeated until the whole
clearing is pegged. After the first line is pegged a line should be laid
at exactly right angles to the first line so that the rows will be
straight both ways. The pegging being completed, the holes should be dug
not less than 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep. The top soil should be
carefully placed on one side of the hole and the subsoil on the other,
the holes should remain open as long as possible and should only be
filled in a week or so before planting the trees. The bottoms of the
holes should be explored with a light crowbar and, if any rocks or
stones are found, they should be removed. In filling the holes the top
soil (that has been placed on one side) should be placed in the bottom
of the hole and other top soil should be taken from between the rows
until the hole is full, the subsoil can now be disposed of by scattering