the end of 1866, but about that time, and during the three following years, an alarming attack of Borer took place, and inflicted immense injury on plantations, and there can be no doubt that this was in a great measure owing partly to insufficient shade, and partly to bad caste shade trees, accompanied by dry, hot seasons, which were favourable to the hatching of the eggs of this destructive insect.  But since then much attention has been paid to shade, both as to quantity and kind, and the Borer may now be regarded as an insect which can with certainty be held in check if the land is properly shaded with good caste trees.  And I say good caste trees, because bad caste trees encourage Borers, and Mr. Graham Anderson, who has had a very large and disagreeable experience of the effects of bad caste trees, informs me that he has “seen worse Borer under dense bad caste shade than in open places in good soil on northern slopes.”  “Some bad shade trees,” he continues, in his communication to me on the subject, “keep the coffee in a debilitated state.  They allow it to be parched up in the dry weather, and they smother it in the monsoon.  They rob it of moisture and manure with their myriads of surface-feeding roots, and prevent dew and light showers benefiting the plant.  I do not fear Borer under well-regulated shade of approved descriptions.  Renovation pits left open in the hot weather, large clod-digging in a light soil even under fair shade, weeds left standing in dry weather; all these, by increasing evaporation, tend to cause increase of damage from Borer.  A hard caked surface, or a compact, undug soil is equally bad.  Rubbing and cleaning the stems is a valuable operation, because it removes rough bark in which eggs may be deposited, and contributes to the health of the tree.  The prompt removal and burning of all affected trees, properly arranged shade of selected varieties, frequent light stirring of the surface soil, having well arranged shoots distributed all over the coffee trees, not opening the centre of the trees too much, and keeping the trees succulent and vigorous by culture and manure, may be at present classed among the best remedies for the Borer pest.”  In other words, he would say that the Borer loves dry wood.  Keep your coffee tree green and succulent and well shaded, and you have little to fear from it.

I have also obtained the opinion of Mr. Brooke Mockett, who informs me that “Borer is certainly as destructive under bad caste trees as in the open.”  “Borer,” he continues, in his communication to me on the subject, “is always much worse in land where there has been a burn than in unburnt land.  It is also bad in rocky and stony places.  In good soil, where there has been no burn, I have never had Borer severely, even though for a time there has been no shade whatever.  I do not fear Borer now that such an excellent system of shade raising has been discovered.  Rubbing stems once in about three years I look upon as of great use.”