135 



plants put out at Hope a year ago treated as above, were weeded three 

 times, and since then the Ramie has kept down the weeds itself except 

 on the paths. 



Our reasons for planting in beds, clearing paths and intervals is to 

 obviate the necessity of walking between the plants, and so trampling 

 the soil round the roots, and making it hard and cakey, which from 

 experience has been found to be very detrimental to the growth of the 

 plant. In the beds planted at Hope a year ago the soil is almost as 

 loose and friable as it was on the day the beds were planted ; and if 

 the crop were taken off now the only thing requiring to be done is to 

 hoe the paths, and perhaps pull out a few climbing weeds which no 

 plants can keep down without assistance. 



By planting as close as above described the plants shoot up very 

 rapidly with little or no tendency to branch. 



The above may seem rather troublesome but if the plants are treated 

 in this way the growth will be more than satisfactory, and it will be 

 many years before the plant requires replanting, but if carelessly dealt 

 with, allowed to get weedy when young, trampled on or between, the 

 plant will soon become enfeebled and the whole trouble of replanting 

 will have to be gone through again in a short time. 



COFFEE PULPERS FOR SETTLERS. 



In the Bulletin for January, 1895, a description was given of two of 

 Gordon's hand coffee pulpers suitable for dealing with small quantities 

 of coffee. 



An opportunity has lately presented itself of testing one of these 

 pulpers, viz. the "Colombia" on a Coffee property, and the following 

 report has kindly been furnished by Mr. B. 6 Gosset, on the capa- 

 bilities of the machine. An essential point in the working is a constant 

 stream of water flowing into the water box. 



Mr. B. S. Gosset to Director of Public Gardens. 



Farm Hill, Hagley Gap P.O. 



Dear Sir, 



I have tried the small Gordon's Iron disc pulper you sent me, over 

 here, and find it works well. 



The coffee is pulped very free from pieces of skin, and no Coffee was 

 to be found among the pulp. 



I have never seen cleaner work done with so little cutting of the 

 berry. 



I have a Walker's disc pulper, a Gordon's patent Breast pulper, B. 

 size, and a Jamaica " Rattle Trap Pulper." The only one which can turn 

 out as clean work as the little Iron disc pulper is the large B. 

 size Gordon's Breast Pulper. 



All the English pulpers want to be fed by a constant flow of water 

 from a pipe with a cock to regulate the feed, — a one inch pipe with, 

 cock of the same size would be needed for a pulper of this size. 



With a regular supply of water I estimate that this pulper would 

 work off about 10 tubs of Coffee an hour weighing about 1,000 lbs., 

 and could be worked by one man. 



Yours faithfully, 



B. S Gosset. 



