62 LAYING OUT THE NURSERY. 



richer than that to which the plants are to be subsequently 

 transferred, but close to water, running water, if possible. 

 The seed-beds must be somewhat shaded, but not so as 

 to entirely exclude the sun nor so that the shading plant 

 may gather rain and send it in streams upon the beds ; it 

 must also be cleared of all the largest stumps and 

 thoroughly dug to a depth of from nine to twelve inches 

 and made very friable and at the same time slightly raised 

 to promote drainage, and divided by paths into narrow 

 strips. A deep trench is cut above the bed in an oblique 

 direction to prevent damage by rain and wash. The 

 seeds are sown in rows six to nine inches apart and about 

 two feet deep and strewn about one inch apart in the 

 holes, after which they are lightly covered with mould and 

 shaded. A cheap and efficient shading may be secured 

 by laying branches across a light framework of poles. 

 All watering must be done in the morning or toward 

 sunset. A bushel of coffee-seed should yield from 

 20,000 to 30,000 plants, the best seed being what is 

 known as " parchment " coffee, picked when fully ripe, 

 pulped by hand, unfermented, unwashed and dried in the 

 shade. When the plants produce from two to four leaves, 

 exclusive of the seed-leaves, they are carefully loosened 

 and transferred, in damp, cloudy weather, from the seed- 

 beds to the nurseries and placed there from nine to twelve 

 inches apart. Great care must be taken meantime not to 

 double up the tender tap-roots, but if the tap-root is very 

 long, it is best shortened by an oblique cut, which soon 

 shoots again. But when transplanting from seed-beds 

 to nurseries is not practiced the plants are left in the 

 seed-beds until they grow larger. Many planters, how- 

 ever, strongly recommend the former plan, as by check- 

 ing the growth of the plants the young roots become 

 hardened and better abJie, wnen finally planted out in 



