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the seeds of coffee to germination during five 

 days, in heaps between plantain leaves. These 

 seeds are taken out of the pulp, but yet retaining 

 a part of it adherent to them. When this seed 

 has germinated, it is sown, and produces plants, 

 that can bear the ardour of the Sun better than 

 those, that spring up in the shade in the coffee- 

 plantations. In this country five thousand three 

 hundred coffee-trees are generally planted in a 

 vanega of ground, amounting to five thousand 

 four hundred and seventy-six square toises*. 

 This land, if it be capable of artificial irrigation, 

 costs five hundred piastres in the norther i part 

 of the province. The coffee-tree bears flowers 

 only the second year, and it's flowering lasts only 

 twenty-four hours. At this time the shrub has 

 a charming aspect ; seen from afar, it appears 

 covered with snow. The produce of the third 

 year becomes very abundant. In plantations 

 well weeded and watered, and recently cultivated^ 

 we find trees bearing sixteen, eighteen, and even 

 twenty pounds of coffee. In general however., 



* One vanega of Caraccas and Cumana contains nearly 

 three almudas, or 28900 square varas, equal to 20754 square 

 metres. One vanega consequently is nearly equivalent ta 

 two hectares. A legal French acre of 1344 square toises, 

 which produces in Europe, in land of a middling quality, 1200 

 pounds of corn, or 3000 pounds of potatoes, is a quarter of 

 a vanega, and would produce, under the torrid zone > neasv 

 1700 pounds of coffee in a year. 



