408 



Remarks oh the Culture of Exotic Vegetables, adapted 

 for the Soil and Climate of South Africa. By Mr. 

 J. Bowie, Member of the South African Institution. 



[Continued from p. 304.] 



COFFEA arabica. Coffee Tree. Koffyboom. Pentan- 

 dria Monogynia, L. Nat. Ord. Rubiace*, J. 



This tree is best raised from seeds, gathered and sown as 

 soon as they are thoroughly ripe, in a sandy loam, and kept 

 moderately moist and shaded; they may be Suffered to remain 

 in the seed-beds until they have formed their first season's 

 growth, afterwards planting them out in nursery-beds, at one 

 foot apart from each plant, to gather strength ; this should be 

 performed about the end of July. 



in forming the plantations, those plants must be selected 

 which appear the most vigorous, and such as hare a shorter 

 length of stem in the spaces between the leaves, experience 

 having shewn that such plants as grow more into length, are 

 comparatively barren. The young trees, on their final planting, 

 should be carefully lifted with a ball of earth to each; an 

 inattention to this particular, will retard the production of 

 the berry for one or two years. They must be planted at six 

 feet apart, in the quincunx manner ; the first season after they 

 are established, the trees must be headed down to about 

 nine or twelve inches of the ground, in order to make them 

 throw out lateral branches, they must not be allowed to 

 attain a greater height than about ten or twelve feet ; care 

 being taken to prune away any luxuriant upright branches, 

 or to shorten them, and thereby encourage the growth of 

 lateral branches, and form a spreading and fan-like bush, they 

 will then produce a better crop, and the berries are more 

 easily gathered. 



The young plantations must be kept free from weeds ; one 

 laborer is sufficient for the care and management of two thou- 

 sand trees, until they are three or four years established, 

 when an increase of labour will be requisite, principally in 

 the gathering in of the crop. A young established plantation 

 is usually valued at half a Spanish dollar each tree, but from 

 the commencement of their bearing the value is doubled. 



Two or three crops may be expected in the year, each tree 

 in full bearing producing about two pounds of clean coffee; 

 the trees are generally allowed to bear fruit about ten years, 

 when the plantations, should they become sparing in produce, 

 are destroyed or neglected. 



Ingathering the berries, only those which are nearly ready 

 f<> fall must be taken ; they are then to be exposed to the sun 



