iS 97 . 



GARDENING. 



55 



BLOSSOMS AND BERRIES OF TH."S COFFEE TREE (Coffea atabica). 



when I raise the heat to 65° or 70 : , 

 whereupon they start growing. This 

 gives good plants for setting out. 



It is very likely that the bulbs can be 

 kept in damp sand in a cellar at a temper- 

 ature of 60°, but in such a case it would 

 he necessary to transfer them in February 

 or March to a tank at temperature of 65° 

 or 70° to make growth for planting out. 



If the seedlings have formed bulbs strong 

 enough they may be wintered as directed 

 above for the large plants. If not they 

 could not be kept through the winter 

 without a tank. 



As regards the lotus I believe that they 

 should be shifted to a new position at 

 least every third year. Early in spring is 

 the best time to do this safely. 



C. J. Stromback. 



Lincoln Park, Chicago. 



The Coffee Tree. 



COFFEfl ARflBlCfl. 



Undoubtedly this beautiful illustration 

 of the flowers of the plant that produces 

 the coffee of commerce will be interesting 

 to many readers of Gardening. The 

 common name "coffee" is the name of a 

 province of Narea in Africa where the 

 ordinary form grows in abundance, and 

 has been latinized into coffea as its botan- 

 ical appellation. 



There are at least four known species 

 all bearing white sweet-scented flowers. 

 The one chiefly used in commerce is Coffea 

 arabica, indigenous to the mountain 



regions of southwest Abyssinia, and has 

 been known since 1696. It is a shrub 

 growing from five to fifteen feet high. 

 The manner of its cultivation and the 

 subsequent treatment of the berry is given 

 in the following extract from a letter 

 written by a gentleman who is thor- 

 oughly familiar with its culture in India. 



The young plantation is laid out neatly and 

 regularly in rectangular lines under "shade t !•<■<■*. " 

 which are most essential for the young plants' 

 well-doing, guarding and protecting them from 

 the stormy blast and scorching sun and wind. 

 The planting is done when the '"monsoon bursts" 

 in June. For the first three years the planter 

 watches over and cares for these young plants, 

 putting in fresh ones should any die off. The 

 third year he is rewarded for all his labor and care 

 by the "virgin crop." and if the ''blossoming 

 showers" which fall in April are propitious, we 

 see a lovely sight when we get up one fine morn- 

 ing, just like a fresh fall of snow:— a vast sheet of 

 pure white blossom, relieved by the glossy dark- 

 green leaves, truly a sight worth seeing! 'The air 

 is heavy with perfume, so strong that many peo- 

 ple cannot endure it; but the perfume does not 

 last long, for the flowers are very short lived, and 

 the second day sees them discolored and wither- 

 ing. When the flower falls off, you can notice 

 small berries showing up: the rain and warm sun 

 makes them swell and get larger and larger, till 

 they become about the size of cherries. This 

 t;ik*'s about seven or eight months, to November, 

 and the berries, now a bright red. are ripe. 



All hands are now put on to pick, women and 

 boys are considered the best for this work, and 

 soon the "pulp-house" is a scene of life. Theday 

 is spent in picking — more picked, more monev to 

 be earned by the laborers. At the end of the day, 

 they come trooping in, a lively chattering set, 

 with their baskets full of the crimson fruit; this 

 is all measured in by the "maistry," or head man, 

 the "dorai" ("master) superintending. It then 

 goes through the process of pulping: a'man takes 

 his seat on the "cherry-loft,"' and through an 

 aperture lets the berries "gradually go pouring into 

 the "pulper" below. In this way the outer red 

 skin is taken off and thrown to one side, while 

 the coffee runs along wooden channels into large 

 vats. After twenty-four hours' fermentation, it 

 is washed, by coolies trampling and raking it to 



remove the mucilage covering the bean. The 

 "parchment." as the coffee is now called, is 

 removed and spread out on tables to dry. 



When partially dried, it is despatched in carts 

 to tin- "curing works" for final treatment. After 

 being uuloaded, it is spread out on the "barbe- 

 ry. •■, to thoroughly dry. It then goes to the 

 "peeling-mill," to remove the drv, parchment- 

 like skin: then it passes through the "fanners." 

 "sizers" and "separators." The beans are de- 

 livered into boxes showing the different sizes of 

 "flats" and "peas" (flat and round coffee). This 

 completes the work done by machinery. Now the 

 coffee goes to the "garbling room,"* where it is 

 measured out to women, a bi^shel to each. Every 

 bean is handled, and all that are discolored, 

 broken, or faulty in any way. are thrown out, and 

 go under the name of "Triage." The coffee is 

 now ready for packing: this is done in double 

 sacks, each one containing \y 2 cwt. net. The 

 i.ml's are branded with the estate's name, also the 

 class of coffee. This is carted or railed to the 

 nearest coast-port for shipment to foreign parts. 



The Greenhouse. 



RULES FOR VENTILATION. 



A subscriber sends the following ques- 

 tion: "What are the best rules for the 

 ventilation of a greenhouse?" 



There is one rule more positive than all 

 the rest, which can be called common 

 sense, and it may be called the instinct of 

 a good gardener. Ventilation, or"giving 

 air" as it is technically called by the green- 

 house men, is done for two reasons. In 

 hot w-eather all the ventilation possible 

 is given to let out the atmosphere that 

 has been heated by the rays of the sun 

 to an unhealthy degree. In moderate 

 weather a little ventilation is given, not 

 because the temperature of the house is 

 too warm but to make a better circula- 



