88 COCONUT CULTIVATION 



who looks upon his liberica as of little con- 

 sequence, finds it pays him better to sell the 

 collected berries than to run his old coffee 

 machinery for such small quantities as he can 

 gather at irregular intervals. Where relatively 

 large areas are under robusta it will no doubt 

 be found most profitable to put down sufficient 

 plant to treat the berries on the estate. It is 

 desirable from another point of view that the 

 product should not be done in the rough way the 

 Chinese follow. The present Malayan output 

 of coffee is probably all consumed locally. 

 Besides planting robusta as a catch-crop many 

 planters are seriously, and perhaps wisely, 

 considering the advisability of devoting part 

 of their acreage to it alone. 



"The berry is much smaller than that of 

 liberica, and the pulper used for the latter 

 will be found to be unsuitable. A small Lidger- 

 wood pulper is the best. Hr. van Lennep states 

 in a recent number of the ' Culturgids ' that 

 the beans must be fermented for thirty-six 

 hours after pulping, and after being well 

 washed, turned wet into the drying house to 

 dry as quickly as possible at a high tempera- 

 ture. The guardiola dryer is especially suitable. 

 While in the drying house the coffee must be 

 often moved so as to get a regular drying. 

 Coffee so prepared and dried keeps its bluish 

 colour long and has a good flavour. 



" Robusta in the Market. Reports from the 



