SHADE TREES AND CATCH CROPS. 67 



agriculture of that State. The growth of the beggar-weed in the orange groves is 

 found to increase the yield and especially the quality of the fruit. The same fact 

 has also been remarked in Porto Rico, though it has not been utilized in any regular 

 cultural industry. In coffee the same species would in all probability be found 

 useful, though for different altitudes and soils other plants might be found preferable. 



Melia arguta. 



Common name. — Mindie. 

 Recommended by Ettling for coffee shade in German East Africa. The seed germi- 

 nates well and the young plants make very rapid growth, becoming in a year's time 

 a "beautiful tall tree." Lecomte states that it loses its leaves during the last two 

 months of the east monsoon, but the Javan plantations where it is used are said not to 

 suffer from the exposure to the sun. 



Melia azedarach. China tree. 



Common name. — Mindi (Java). 

 This well-known species has been used in parts of Java as shade for Liberian 

 coffee, and is considered by Dr. Fesca preferable to Cedrela serrulata. The wood is 

 also said to be valuable for cabinetwork and in the manufacture of wind instruments. 



Melia composita. (See Melia dubia.) 



Melia dubia. 



Synonym. — Melia composita . 

 An Indian tree mentioned by Raoul as of extremely rapid growth, but said to be 

 objectionable to most planters on other accounts. 



Micropteryx poeppigiana. (See Erythrina poeppigiana.) 



Milho (Portuguese). (See Andropogon sorghum.) 



Millo (Spanish). (See Andropogon sorghum.) 



Mindi (Java). (See Melia azedarach.) 



Mindie. (See Melia arguta.) 



Moca (Porto Rico). (See Andira inermis.) 



Monkey's dinner bell. (See JIura crepitans.) 



Moricypre (French West Indies). (See Byrsonima spicata.) 



Moras indica. Indian mulberry. 



Used in Java with Bixa orellana, according to Lecomte, for filling in wind breaks 

 of waroe when the trees have grown so large as to leave openings below. 



Muche. 



A tree used for coffee shade in Colombia. It casts a very open shadow and is 

 used for the higher elevations, where it is planted wide (25 meters) apart. Accord- 

 ing to Saenz, no shade is necessary where the temperature varies only between 17° 

 and 19° C. , and only the above is permissible. Lower down, where the tempera- 

 ture reaches 21°, the muche maybe set at 10 meters or the jack or guamo at 15 

 meters. Lower still, the guamo, saman, jack, or cambulo are used at 10 meters. 



Mucuna utilis. Velvet-bean. 



Common name. — Pois mascate (French colonies). 

 The planting of this species as a green manure for coffee is suggested by Lecomte. 

 The recently acquired popularity of this species in the Southern States makes it easy 



