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planting done as soon as possible and the earth made quite 

 firm after planting. Weeding is afterwards done as occasion 

 requires. Staking with canes has also to be done for support- 

 ing the plants against heavy winds. Filling in blanks when 

 any seedlings die or get sickly has also to be done. A fast 

 growing small tree is usually grown along-side the seedlings 

 to give them shade. Maize is the best crop to grow. Trench- 

 ing and manuring have also to be organised, the former as 

 a means of draining. Weeds are put in these trenches as 

 a source of manure. The trenches open into catch-drains, 

 whence water runs off into drainage channels. Manuring 

 with lime, oil-cake, cowdung &c., is also done, as coffee is an 

 exhausting crop. Forking or spading once a year to a depth 

 of 12 to 18 inches is also essential, in the dry season. 



718. -After another 12 or 18 months, te. t when the plants 

 are, 3 to 5 ft. in height, topping is done, i. e., nipping off the 

 central bud, to check further growth in height. Topped in 

 this way, the berries are more easily gathered and the yield 

 is also heavier. Pruning is also done in such a manner that 

 the plants may remain 5 ft. high and develop horizontally 

 primary branches at intervals of about 6 inches throughout 

 the height of the stem ; and to form along these boughs a 

 constant supply of secondary fruit-bearing twigs. All ascend- 

 ing and cross-wise branches or twigs are at once removed, 

 so as to force the plant into the type of horizontal spreading 

 branches which has the advantage of exposing to sun and 

 light a large surface from which the crop can with ease be 

 removed. All secondary fruiting twigs are pruned off after 

 each crop is removed. Pruning should be finished each time 

 before the next season's flower buds begin to form. The 

 lateral or primary boughs should not be allowed to grow 

 more than 2\ feet, otherwise they will droop and exclude the 

 light froii) those below. All broken, diseased and dead 

 branches should be cut off. 



719. The blossoms appear in March of the 2nd or the 3rd 



