110 AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE. 



some tea is made by putting the young green leaves into a 

 shallow preserving pan over a slow wood fire. When they 

 begin to curl, throw them upon a table and rub them with 

 the hand into the form of ordinary tea. Let them stand 

 in a current of air for a few hours, or swing them about 

 in a basket; then put the leaves in the pan again, heat, 

 and roll them as before. Do this four or five times, and 

 the result is a greenish black tea, of a far better quality 

 than the average post-and-rail compound. 



COFFEE. This plant has been more extensively grown 

 in Australia than tea. It has proved delicate in exposed 

 situations ; but in rich soils, on the sides of hills protected 

 from westerly gales, and on well sheltered flats, it is a 

 hardy, handsome tree, and bears great quantities of cherry- 

 like fruit which, in its preserved state, we call coffee. 



Cultivation. The plants are raised from seed sown in 

 August, in rows about a foot apart. If they are to be 

 removed, the seeds are sown in pots or boxes. By the 

 following April the plants are about ten inches in height, 

 and can be set out from eight to twelve feet apart. 

 Choosing wet, sultry, still weather. Coffee does not bear 

 transplanting well. To overcome this difficulty, the seed 

 may be planted three or four at each place where a tree is 

 wanted. In moist weather, during August, September, 

 and October, they come above ground in twelve to four- 

 teen days. By this plan, growing without transplanting, 

 stronger trees are obtained. Unless the soil is very rich 

 and porous as in the case of what is known as mountain 

 scrub the soil for coffee should be trenched by hand or 

 plough. 



Harvesting. The trees come into bearing in the third 

 or fourth year, by which time they are five or six feet 

 in height, and pretty, nicely-balanced bushes, with very 

 handsome foliage. To force them into fruit, the tops 

 of the leading branches are pinched or pruned off. This is 

 also done to keep the trees at a convenient height for 

 picking off the fruit. The first crop of berries is usually 

 straggling. The fruit is in the form of dark purple berries 

 along the limbs. These berries are ripe when the two 

 beans in the interior of each move about freely on being 



