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posing 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 bet- 

 ter than those, that spring up in the shade in the . 

 coffee-plantations. In this country five thou- 

 sand 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 

 northern part of the province. The coffee-tree 

 bears flowers only the second year, and it's flow- 

 ering 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 plan- 

 tations well weeded and watered, and recently- 

 cultivated, we find trees bearing sixteen, eigh- 

 teen, and even twenty pounds of coffee. In ge- 



* One vanega of Caraccas and Curaana contains nearly 

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

 metres. One vanega consequently is nearly equivalent to 

 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, near 

 1700 pounds of coffee in a year. 



