CULTURE OF LIBERIAN COFFEE. 21 



the preliminary crop or of its aid in keeping down the weedy vegeta- 

 tion which constitutes so serious a difficulty for the tropical farmer. 



Notwithstanding* the proximity of what might be called the shade 

 belt, much coffee is raised in Guatemala without shade, or at least 

 without other shade than that cast by an occasional row of bananas, 

 which, if they have any useful purpose, must serve as wind-breaks 

 rather than as shade. The need of shade upon the ground rather 

 than upon the coffee trees seems also to be appreciated according to 

 the following quotation from a popular account of the Guatemala 

 industry : 



Many planters allow but 10 feet between the trees, and others still less. There is 

 a great diversity of opinion on this point, for several reasons. Some planters contend 

 that trees placed 6 feet apart, the main stalk pruned to develop the trees horizontally, 

 bear fuller crops, as the interlacing lateral branches shade the roots from the intense 

 heat, and tend to conserve the moisture of the ground. Others, like our host, 

 assert that trees should be planted 10 or 12 feet apart, and well pruned out, in order 

 to increase the vigor of the remaining branches, as well as to permit the freest circu- 

 lation of the air above the plants, and give each heavily burdened limb the fullest 

 benefit of the sun's maturing influence. 



SHADE FOR LIBERIAN COFFEE. 



The Liberian coffee constitutes a botanical species, Coffea liberica, 

 very distinct from O. arabica. The tree is of more erect and vigorous 

 growth, and the leaves, flowers, and fruits are about twice the size of 

 those of the Arabian coffee. Moreover, it is a native of thoroughly 

 tropical coast districts of low elevation and flourishes in Liberia in cul- 

 tivation without shade but a few yards awa} T from the strand and but 

 a few feet above the level of the sea. There can be no question of the 

 ability of this species to withstand without injury full exposure to the 

 sun. But while the shade temperature of the air in Liberia seldom 

 rises far above 90 degrees, the upper layers of exposed soil become 

 much hotter, and intelligent planters have found that the coffee is 

 greatly advantaged by mulching. The simplest method of accom- 

 plishing this is to leave upon the ground the grass and weeds hoed up 

 at the end of the rainy season, but some farmers consider it worth 

 while to cut and distribute between the coffee rows large quantities of 

 green brush, the leaves of which soon shrivel and drop off, though 

 still furnishing considerable protection to the soil, and subsequent^ 

 contributing to its fertility. 



Although, like the Arabian coffee, the Liberian is very susceptible 

 to injury from deficient drainage, the largest and most vigorous trees 

 may often be observed in situations where permanent moisture is 

 assured in the soil or where partial shade retards the drying process. 

 Constant or heavy shade is, however, distinctly detrimental. 



Thus at the borders of plantations, trees close to other growth are 

 inferior to those in the open field, but it may also be noticed that a 



