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trees lose their leaves, and the ends of the boughs wither, the situation 

 must be examined. If the evil arises from the actual situation, there is 

 no other remedy but pruning freely, but this never happens except when 

 trees are fully grown up. Sometimes, however, such accident arises from 

 woodland on neighbouring heights, casting its shadow over the plan- 

 tation. In such case nothing will answer but to clear away the wood. 



(g) Where the climate is exceeding cool and damp, the trees grow 

 well, but do not bear, though the soil is good. This happens where 

 the country is covered with wood, and the trees only become productive 

 when the climate has been changed by cutting down the woods. 



(h) Sometimes ants do mischief, and ashes may be spread at the foot 

 of the tree to keep them off. 



(i) When the season has been especially dry, the berries are liable to 

 be blasted, either empty, and though large and red, to have no seed in 

 them, or mildewed (blackburnt) before they are ripe. There is no re- 

 medy. But this only rarely happens in the mountains. 



Wind. — Strong winds are hurtful to coffee trees, affecting the leaves, 

 flowers, and berries ; and sometimes they so shake the trees that the 

 trunk works a hole all round it, in which water becomes stagnant, and 

 causes the roots to rot. If this has happened, the earth must be well 

 broken up, the hole filled, and the tree either propped or cut near the 

 ground. 



In such windy situations, the trees should be planted at wider inter- 

 vals, and topped lower. 



When a tree is propped, the stake should be high enough to act as a 

 a good support, and the tree should be tied to it with the dry skin of 

 the plantain. 



The precaution may also be taken to plant shelter-belts of trees, if 

 it can be done without shading the coffee. 



Pruning. 



Natural growth. — In order to understand the art of pruning the 

 coffee tree, it is necessary first to be well acquainted with the manner 

 of its natural growth. Notice how the seedling bears its leaves, two 

 on opposite sides of the stem, the second pair being on different sides 

 from the first pair, and so on. When the young plant is 12 or 15 

 inches high, the first branches begin to make their appearance, each one 

 in the eye just above the leaf. All these branches which spring from 

 the main trunk are distinguished as primaries. The primary branches 

 also bear leaves in the same manner, opposite to one another in pairs ; 

 and from the eyes above these leaves, other branches shoot out, which 

 are known as s< condary branches, and these in their turn again bear 

 tertiary branches according to the same plan ; and so on. Thus, all the 

 branches grow in pairs, furnishing the tree all around without incum- 

 brance, spreading out horizontally and with a direction, in some mea- 

 sure, towards the circumference. In the natural state no branches grow 

 upwards or downwards nor more than one from the same leaf, but all 

 in a regular and symmetrical manner. 



If the tree is allowed to grow to its full height of 15 or 18 feet, it will 

 lose its lowest branches, and bear the berries on the branches near the 

 top of the tree. 



Advantages of Topping. — For many reasons it is considered profitable 



