II COFFEE 99 



The object of the system is to allow for the subsidence of the 

 earth, as it is found, no matter how well the holes are filled, 

 that sinking always occurs ; and thus, after a time, the 

 young plants will be left in a depression unless the soil be 

 heaped up as described. 



Planting Out. — The trees should be planted out, if 

 possible, at the commencement of the rainy season, and on 

 no account should the seedlings be put in the fields during 

 dry weather ; for, until the plants are firmly rooted in their brpianfeV i^n 

 new situations, a few days' sun and dry weather will be "^^' ^^^^*^^'"- 

 almost certain to kill them. Temporary shade may, how- Temporary 

 ever, be afforded by fixing small branches of trees in the 

 ground around the plants, or a few sticks, pushed into the 

 earth, maybe made to support plantain or fern leaves in such 

 a way as to give light shade to the young coffee trees. In The roots 



••,,<- , / ^ , , not to be 



removmg the plants from the nurseries, care must be taken injured. 

 not to injure the roots ; and, where it can be done, a ball of 

 earth should be removed with the plants. If the roots be 

 much injured, it is as well to take off a few of the lower 

 leaves so as to restore the balance between those parts above 

 and those below the ground. When plants are raised in 

 bamboos, on no account should the pot be split and then 

 put in the ground with the plant inside it, for the rotting 

 wood, remaining at the root of the young tree, will be liable 

 to injure it. The proper way is to have the soil in the pot How to 

 well wetted before taking them into the fields ; and when ptSusVoin 

 the hole is ready for planting, each pot is to be split by a the bamboo 

 sharp blow of the cutlass on either side, and then by using a 

 little force the sides will separate, and the plant with its 

 roots undisturbed and covered with soil, can be at once set 

 in the ground, and failure will be scarcely possible. Of 

 course when stones have been put in the pot for the purpose 

 of drainage, they must be gently turned out of the soil with 

 the fingers before the plant is set in the earth. After the 

 young tree is planted, the soil should be pressed down firmly 



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