15 



spread out over the ground. In level grounds and ter- 

 races the soil is made loose, by means of the „patjol", 

 once before and once after the rain-season, until the fourth 

 year; then this operation is effected once a year or once 

 every two years. On slopes, this method cannot be followed, 

 lest too much vegetable-mould should be lost in the heavy 

 rains. Next, the young off-shoots which continually grow 

 up at the foot of the plants must be carefully removed 

 and the „dadap" or the „Albizzia" lopped, so that it grows 

 more rapidly .and does not produce too much shade. 



During the first two years languishing and dead 

 plants or trees are to be regularl}' replaced. 



Many people remove the young off-shoots at the top 

 of the tree, as soon as this has reached a height of 5 to 6 

 feet (the Liberia 8 to 1 feet), in order to force the tree to 

 grow in width. In this way the coffee-tree can be better 

 maintained and also the fruit is easy of access. 



For the growth of the trees this process is not ne- 

 cessary; coffee-trees are found of from 40 to 60 years old, 

 which have never undergone it, but it is very difficult to 

 gather the fruit when the trees have reached a height of 

 from 15 to 20 feet. In such case ladders are required or the 

 branches are bent down by means of cramp-irons fastened 

 to sticks, often to the great detriment of the trees. Because 

 of the disease which has prevailed for some years in 

 coffee-trees, the method of lopping the top has much de- 

 minished for fear of weakening the trees too much, which 



