224 Coffee Planting. 



other words, under conditions the most favourable 

 to the growth of the coffee-tree, a maximum height 

 of five feet may be adopted. It must be remem- 

 bered, however, that very rarely is such a combina- 

 tion of favourable conditions to be met with, and 

 that, consequently, this will not often be found a 

 suitable height. 



The great point is to get the trees to a height at 

 which they will neither be too much crowded to- 

 gether, nor too much separated, when planted at 

 such a distance apart as is best suited to the charac- 

 ter of the climate and soil. It is of importance 

 that the ground should be properly covered, and 

 this ought to be effected as much by the plants 

 being at a proper distance from each other, as by 

 their being topped at the proper height, and vice 

 versd. The lower a tree is cut down, the wider will 

 be the area over which its branches are likely to 

 spread, for the simple reason, that supposing that a 

 given amount of nourishment is taken up from the 

 soil and atmosphere by the roots and leaves, this is 

 bound to result in growth one way or other, that is, 

 either in height or in lateral redundancy. 



Another consideration is, that the more space 

 ; is occupied by trees (in consequence of their being 

 kept low) the fewer of them will be accommodated 

 on a given area of land, and hence it will evidently 

 be more economical to grow high trees planted close 



