68 AGRICULTURE IN THE TROPICS [PT. II 



not succeed in strong winds, and if the shade trees do not 

 supply sufficient protection, or if they are not used, wind-breaks, 

 or belts of trees across the direction of the prevailing winds, 

 are employed. 



As soon as the plants grow up, they are very carefully 

 pruned. The primary branches are left, but all the secondaries 

 are removed to a distance of six or more inches from the stem, 

 and beyond that one secondary branch is taken off at each 

 node, and that upon alternate sides, so that if at one node a 

 branch is left projecting to the left, at the next one will be left 

 to the right, and so on. 



Coffee comes into bearing at 3 5 years old, and bursts 

 into blossom simultaneously, so that a field in full bloom, with 

 the large snowy flowers, is a very beautiful sight. The fruits 

 are red berries, ripening some time afterwards, and in the case 

 of Arabian coffee must be picked as soon as ripe, as otherwise 

 they fall off. A good yield is at the rate of 4 12 cwts. of 

 dried seeds per acre. 



The ripe fruits are first washed through a " pulper," a 

 machine with a barrel, covered with teeth like that of a 

 musical box, or with semi-circular projections, revolving against 

 a fixed beam. This crushes the pulp on the fruits, and they 

 pass through into a stream of water, where it is washed away. 

 The pairs of seeds are then placed in a vessel to ferment for a 

 couple of days, the remains of the pulp are easily washed off, 

 and they are dried. The dried fruits then form what is termed 

 "parchment," the two seeds being enclosed face to face in a 

 parchment-like covering. In this condition they may be kept 

 a long time, but they are generally put through what is called 

 a " huller," in which a revolving heavy wheel breaks up the 

 parchment layer, and sets free the seeds, which are freed from 

 the broken parchment by winnowing. They are then bagged 

 and sent to Europe. Five pounds of the fresh fruit finally give 

 about one of dry coffee. 



At present, Brazil, in which the leaf-disease is unknown, 

 holds a very large share in the world's markets, at least as 

 regards quantity of coffee, though it does not perhaps produce 

 the very highest qualities. With the rise in exchange, the 



