COFFEE ROBUSTA 87 



the changkol is used, the coolie is apt to wound 

 the lower part of the stem, which encourages 

 the growth of unnecessary branches ; these take 

 away nourishment required elsewhere, and, if 

 they appear, they should be cut off as soon as 

 possible. A good digging or forking over the 

 ground at the end of the second year would be 

 beneficial; it should certainly be done in the 

 third. 



. " Pruning. The plant tends to form only 

 primary branches. It should be topped at a 

 height of 8 feet, to give a thicker branching by 

 forcing out secondary branches which bear as well 

 as the primaries. Less pruning is required than 

 with liberica, but it must be commenced earlier. 

 Young shoots, due to injuries suffered during 

 weeding, arise near the ground on plants of six 

 months and older, and must be cut off early. 

 As a catch- crop most of it is to be collected in a 

 few years, therefore the drastic prunings taking 

 away half the foliage of the tree, which are now 

 administered to interplanted liberica every nine 

 months or more, must be avoided. Pruning 

 should be done with a sharp knife, and not by 

 plucking. 



" Preparation for the Market. Except on a 

 few estates all the coffee at present grown in 

 the F.M.S. is sold in the berry to Chinese. The 

 individual Chinese purchaser, or often two or 

 three working together, prepares by hand- 

 machines all he buys. The European planter, 



