218 



TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



of Spanish potatoes, water-melons, and sugar-cane, 

 the last of which they do not press, but merely suck 

 out the juice. Considering this poor way of living, 

 in a moist country where the air is not purified by 

 a frequent change of wind, but is loaded with 

 noxious exhalations, it is not surprising that the 

 inhabitants are pale, weak and sickly. 



As we endeavoured, on our return from this re- 

 markable valley, to reach the plain of S. Cristovao, 

 we came to the other side of the mountain, to the 

 coffee plantation of Dr. Lesesne, who has hired a 

 large extent of land, and planted it with sixty 

 thousand trees. According to the direction of this 

 experienced planter, the fresh berries are planted, 

 in preference, in the shade of other coffee trees, and 

 the plants are taken up with the mould round them, 

 as soon as they have attained the height of ten or 

 twelve inches. It is said to have been observed that 

 detaching the mould from the tender roots, checks 

 the growth for a whole year ; for trees treated in 

 this manner, do not produce any fruit for the first 

 thirty-two months, whereas others bear fruit in 

 twenty months. The young trees are planted in 

 the form of a quincunx. Many planters place the 

 trees six feet distant from each other, but others 

 only four, alleging as a reason that some of the 

 trees in the ranks always die. The most luxuriant 

 shoots in the middle of the trees are pruned away, 

 and they are not suffered to grow more than twelve 

 feet high, that the fruit may be more within reach. 



