COFFEE. 57 



At every place where a string has been tied, a picket is stuck 

 in the ground ; then the cane is removed to another place, and so 

 on till all the estate is marked out by pickets. After the picket- 

 ing, a hole is made with the spade at every mark ; it should be a 

 good foot broad and deep, and the earth inside should be made 

 very fine and clear. The earth is now ready to receive the coffee 

 plant, and the time has only to be waited for when the first rains 

 fully begin. 



Nurseries. In the month of October, or earlier, if coffee trees 

 are near at hand, nurseries must be prepared in the neighbourhood 

 of the land about to be planted. This can be done in the ravines, 

 or, if they are too far from the spot where the plants are wanted, 

 pieces of ground most convenient can be selected. If the ravines 

 are preferred, places must be chosen which are shaded by trees not 

 prejudicial to the coffee plants. On ground w r here there is no 

 trees, the nurseries may be covered, at the height of four feet, 

 with leaves of jack (Artocarpus integrifolia), areca, or other palm 

 trees, in a manner to admit the air. 



The ground made loose and fine, coffee plants newly opening, 

 or seeds only, are planted or sown at a distance of four inches 

 square ; 500 square roods will in this way furnish 648,000 plants, 

 which are sufficient for an estate of 300,000 trees. Transplanting 

 from nurseries is absolutely necessary in coffee cultivation, and the 

 trouble it costs is always doubly repaid. Having a choice of plants, 

 a person can be convinced he has taken none but healthy trees, 

 and he proceeds therefore with a confidence of success. After the 

 first year, all failures having been nearly replaced, the estate is 

 fully planted, the trees are of regular growth, and no useless 

 clearing is required a thing which is always necessary in irregular 

 plantations. It is easy also to pick the berries from the trees 

 which are planted with regularity ; the work goes on smoothly ; 

 and, when the estate has lived its time, it may be abandoned alto- 

 gether, without leaving patches of living trees here and there, 

 which renders superintendence so very difficult. 



There should always be a plentiful supply of plants, to give an 

 ample choice and to make up for failures. When plants are placed 

 in the nurseries, they should not have more than two offshoots, or 

 leaves, above each other ; and when the ball plants are transplanted, 

 they should not be higher than a foot, as large plants always give 

 meagre trees. 



At the end of November or beginning of December, if the nur 

 series are kept free from weeds, and, if necessary, occasionally 

 watered, the plants will be about a foot high, and will have put 

 forth 4 or 5 leaves ; they are then just fit to be transplanted. Then 

 the ground is cloven with the spade, at a distance of an inch and 

 a half round the stem of the plant, to about three inches deep ; 

 the plant, with the ball of earth adhering to it, is carefully lifted 

 out of the ground, and the ball is wrapped in a jack, plantain, or 

 other leaf, and tied to prevent the earth falling off"; but, before 



