380 



[November, 1912. 



COFFEA ROBUSTA. 



A study of Coffea Robusta, by M. Kramer, Director of Agriculture at 

 Buitenzorg (Java) is reprinted from the " Revue Agricole" in the Queens- 

 land Agricultural Journal for September, 1912: — 



Precocity, — In Java the Robusta yields a first crop at two years of 

 age. In the third year the yield is 15| oz, and from the fith year onwards 

 over 2 lbs. per tree. 



Harvest.— This continues in Java throughout the year as the berries 

 do not ripen at the same time but during consecutive months ; and this is 

 an advantage as it permits of a more economical utilisation of the per- 

 manent labour force and does away with casual labour at picking time, 

 which labour is difficult to obtain and very burdensome. 



Yield.— About 13 lbs. of cherry Robusta yield 2 lb of beans, a greater 

 yield than that of Coffea Arabica. 



Value. — We have frequently published in the "Revue Agricole' 

 figures which show that at Havre the Coffea Robusta sells at about the 

 same price as our Caledonian coffee (present current price, 2s. Id. to 2s. 8d. 

 per lb), that is about £118 per ton. 



Resistance to Hemeleia.— It has been asserted that Coffea Robusta has 

 shown spots of hemeleia. This is certainly not impossible. In Java this 

 variety is not absolutely immune, but it resists the disease ; the leaves do 

 not fall off and the tree continues to flourish and fruit. 



Cultivation,— The Robusta must be planted under shade and allowed 

 more room than the Arabica. In Java the trees are planted 10 feet apart 

 each way. When the plant has attained its fourth or fifth year the shade 

 may be removed. The trees are topped at about 6 feet. 



Special Precautions. — A good plan is to treat the nursery plants with 

 preparations of sulphate of copper or flowers of sulphur. 



THE FEEDING OF COCONUT CAKE TO MILCH COWS. 



The following remarks culled from the "Journal of the South-Eastern 

 Agricultural College, Wye," appear in the Journal of the Board of Agri- 

 culture for October, 1912. — An investigation was carried out on the College 

 Farm dur ing the months of April and May, 1911, to determine the suitabil- 

 ity of coconut cake as a focd for the production of milk and butter. 

 Three cotvs, which had calved about two months previously, were selected, 

 and, after being fed for a ioituight on an ordinary ration, were given a 

 diet containing coconut cake, the quantity fed being at first 2 lb. a day, 

 and gradually increased to lb. per head daily. The total period in which 

 ihe coconut cake was fed was three weeks, after which the cows were 

 kept under observation for a week, during which time they received ordi- 

 nary foods. The coconut cake appeared to produce very little effect on 

 the yield and quality of the milk, and on the Reichert number of the 

 butter, though in view of the shortness of the period and the small num- 

 ber of cows it is impossible to draw definite conclusions. It was clear, how- 

 ever, that the cake made the butter much firmer, and it is suggested that 

 on this account it should prove useful as a food in warm weather when 

 difficulty is experienced in making firm butter. 



