52 CULTIVATION OF COFFEE IX VARIOUS COUNTRIES. 



and the loosening of the soil and cutting of the long fibrous 

 roots very much invigorate the trees. In the same manner, 

 the young wood, after the searching, may be buried with 

 great advantage to the surrounding trees. lS&quot;o branch should 

 be allowed to bear more than two, or at most three crops; 

 it should then be removed to make room for a fresh one. 

 As the same wood never bears twice, the branches, if allowed 

 to bear more than three crops, degenerate into mere whips, 

 bearing only a few berries at the extremities. JXo definite 

 rule can be given for pruning old trees, however ; as M. 

 Sabonadiere informs us, much depends upon their condition. 

 He states that he took charge of an estate, some portions of 

 it at a great elevation. The trees had not been pruned for 

 some years, and were a mass of thick cross branches and 

 matted leaves ; a man might have made a bed on the top of 

 them. It would never have done to reduce these trees at 

 once to mere primaries or parrot-poles. The course pursued 

 was to saw out the cross branches, and open out the 

 centre of the trees about eighteen inches in circumference; 

 then to -take off and thin out about half the remaining wood: 

 the effect was wonderful. They were afterward handled 

 once or twice, and the result has been a very good crop, 

 on a property which had not yielded a remunerative one 

 for many years. This pruning also seemed to drive 

 away the coffee-bug, and much reduced its ravages. Only 

 during the three or four days of blossom-time is it ad visa- 

 able to stop pruning, otherwise much damage may be 

 done, and the crop lost. After the blossom, and when it 

 has set, all the more care is needed to prune with caution, 

 the best branches being retained; while those which should 

 have come off, even if they have crop upon them, must not 

 be left. Sufficient pruning must be done to insure a supply 

 of new wood, and to give health and vigor to the tree to 



