18 



The so-called „ masculine" coffee is not a special sort, 

 but a casuality, the fruit containing only one grain instead 

 of two. 



§ 9. The disease of the coffee-tree. 



It is a known fact that for 17 years past, the coffee- 

 culture has much to suffer from a disease, called the ;,He- 

 mileia vastatrix", a mildew which attacks first the leaves. 



This mildew is to be recognized by an orange-coloured 

 matter that appears itself at the back side of the leaves 

 and can be removed bj' the hand. When the disease con- 

 tinues, the attacked leaf falls, the branches and the fruit 

 grow black and the fruit decays. Large plantations have 

 hereby been completely destroyed in a few months; no 

 disease has ever caused such disaster to the culture. 



Numerous efforts have been made to prevent the disease. 



First it was believed that it was better to make 

 the soil loose and manure it more. The trees grew 



stronger and could better resist the disease, but the 



evil continued to propagate. 



Then antiseptic remedies were applied to combat it 

 and preservatives to prevent the disease. Trials have been 

 made on a large scale in watering the plants with an in- 

 fusion of tobacco or with Bouillon Bordelaise. The attacked 

 parts of the young leaves have been pi-icked with sulphuric 

 acid, or the plantations have been protected on the wind- 

 side by growing hedges to prevent the germs in the air, 



