24 THE NATURE AND CULTIVATION OF COFFEE. 



nursery, stumps, and seedlings, are alike used in 

 forming plantations. The first are preferable reared in 

 nurseries, as already shown. Until they are twelve or 

 fifteen inches high, with one or two pair of primary 

 branches, they should be taken up with a ball of earth 

 whenever practicable ; but where the distance from 

 the nursery to the planting ground precludes this 

 mode, the roots may be dipped into a mixture of 

 cow- dung and earth, to prevent the action of the wind 

 and air on the fine fibrous roots, and thus guarded, 

 they can be carried for miles. Extreme care is neces- 

 sary in planting not to turn the roots up ; the safest 

 plan is to lower the tree into the place made for its 

 reception rather deeper than it is intended to remain, 

 and throwing a little loose soil on the roots, to draw 

 the plant up to the proper level ; by this means, all 

 the roots will be pointing downwards, and doubling up 

 the tap root will be prevented. The earth should be 

 trodden round the plant, to prevent its being shaken 

 by the wind ; and it should never be buried below the 

 crown of the root, as the upper bark is liable to rot off 

 if covered over with earth, and the plant in conse- 

 quence perishes. Stumps, which are neither more nor 

 less than older plants cut down two inches from the 

 ground, may be planted with less risk even when the 

 weather is dry and the season more advanced. In 

 ordinary seasons, a number of buds or suckers make 

 their appearance on the stump within a month of its 

 being planted ; these should all be rubbed off, except 

 the lowest one, and this will in a short time grow up, 

 and throw out lateral branches, exactly like a 

 nursery plant. Stumps generally bear a little earlier, 

 probably because they are usually made from very old 



