228 A NATURALIST IN CELEBES ch. ix 



the greater part of the time I was there, so that my oppor- 

 tunities for investigating the natural history of the forests 

 were Hmited. The coffee garden is situated upon the moun- 

 tain slopes about a quarter of a mile from the village. The 

 path to it through the forest is extremely grand, the trees 

 being as tall and magnificent as they are in the forests of the 

 low-lying lands, and, owing, perhaps, to the greater humidity 

 of the climate, their trunks are even more richly covered 

 with parasitic ferns and orchids than they are elsewhere. 



A coffee-plantation is formed by clearing the forest with 

 fire and axe, and then allowing a certain number of young 

 wild trees to grow again until they reach the height of ten 

 or twenty feet. These trees are for the purpose of protect- 

 ing the young coffee-trees from sun and heavy rain, those 

 most valued for this purpose being the common walantakka 

 trees {Erythrina lithosperma) (17). The young coffee-trees 

 are planted in circular beds about six feet in diameter, which 

 are carefully kept clear of weeds. 



The coffee berries are first of all allowed to germinate 

 in properly sheltered and protected places, and the young 

 seedlings, called the bibits, are then transplanted to the coffee 

 beds. It is said that if the radicle is able to grow straight 

 down into the soil, the tree will probably become a strong and 

 healthy one, but if it becomes deflected by a stone or root, 

 then the tree is usually found to be a poor one and liable to 

 disease. If the bibit shows itself to be weak and sickly after 

 twelve months' trial, it is taken up and a new one planted 

 close to the same spot. A coffee bed is not abandoned until 

 it has been tried two or three times, and it is a curious fact 

 that very often after two or three failures the same bed will 

 support an exceptionally good tree. The cofFee-trees are 

 allowed to grow to the height of six feet, and then the tops 

 are cut off, so as to strengthen the growth of the lateral 

 branches which bear the fruits. 



