2 1 o Coffee Planting. 



leaving exposed to view the numerous pistils or 

 fruit-germs upon which so much depends. These 

 should have fresh, whitish tips to indicate a healthy 

 appearance, and when this is the case, the blossom 

 is said to have " set well," and a crop may be 

 looked for proportionate to the abundance of the 

 blossom. Sometimes, however, an ominous little 

 black spot is discernible in the centre of the pistil, 

 and where this is the case, fructification will not 

 follow. This is most commonly the result of in- 

 opportune rain, while the flowers are out ; or it 

 may follow a prolonged season of drought, and be 

 due to a weakly condition of the plant. 



From this time forward the berries continue to 

 increase in size, gradually after a time beginning to 

 change from their original dark-green hue to a light 

 yellow, which in its turn deepens into red. The 

 latter change will take place about October, when 

 every preparation ought to be complete for gather- 

 ing in the crop. As soon as a sprinkling of red 

 berries is seen, " picking " should begin ; at first 

 with a few hands, but afterwards, as the reddish 

 tinge begins to get general, all hands should be 

 put on to gather in as fast as possible. Of course 

 if the estate is freely supplied with labour in pro- 

 portion to the crop expected, a more leisurely 

 course may be followed ; but as a general rule all 

 available hands are required to be hard at work 



