CATCH-CROPS. 73 



such an extreme on many plantations that the Coffee 

 became, in fact, of only secondary importance, or was 

 even entirely killed out. There is nothing, however, to 

 object to in the simultaneous cultivation of several 

 crops, so long as each has proper space and sufficient 

 manure, and the plants are not antagonistic to each 

 other, as many claim, and the failure of one crop may 

 be compensated for by the success of the other. Rice 

 and tobacco have been found to yield good returns as 

 catch-crops, but they possess a disadvantage, in not 

 affording any shade to the young Coffee plants. Cocoa, 

 yams, bananas and plantains are perhaps even less 

 advisable, and similar attempts with cotton have proved 

 altogether failures, while maize, on the other hand, is 

 highly recommended from experiences in Brazil and 

 other countries. When adopted, it should be planted 

 thinly in three rows, eighteen inches apart between the 

 Coffee rows, and two plants apart in the Coffee rows 

 between the Coffee plants. The seed should be sown 

 immediately after the Coffee is planted. It grows very 

 quickly and should early be thinned out to eighteen 

 inches apart in the rows, and will soon be high enough 

 to completely shelter and partially shade the Coffee, 

 which will grow all the faster in consequence, the latter 

 being also greatly benefitted by the extra working of 

 the ground. In the fall a dressing of manure — the same 

 manure will suit both Coffee and maize — is applied and 

 the ground plowed or deeply hoed, preferably the 

 former. The crops may also be repeated the following 

 spring, reducing it, however, to two rows and one 

 Coffee plant and repeating the manuring and plowing or 

 hoeing, but this time the choice between the plow and 

 hoe must be governed by the size of the Coffee shrubs ; 

 if too high, the latter is best. 



