Oct. 2, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
PLANTING OF SHADE TREES. 
The following is a tabulated statetnent of the 
number of Bhade and fruit trees actually growing, 
all of which have been planted since this merito- 
torious work was begun in 1890 : — 
Shade-giving Trees. Fruit Trees 
Province. 
Western ... 
Central 
Northern 
Southern 
Eastern 
North-Western 
North-Central.. 
Uva 
Sabaragamuwa. 
C3 
60 
a 
361 31 
2,162 823 
3,404 10,926 
1,944 10 
4,496 1,307 
1,553 
3,252 
3,306 392 
329 
«3 
20 
►-4 ^ 
591 
1,314 1,078 
1,202 
558 
505 
14 
1,540 
202 
579 
Total.. 20,807 13,489 1,314 6,269 
The protection thus afforded the weary traveller 
will extend over many miles of principal roads. 
The trees have been planted 60 feet apart and al- 
ternately on each side ; unfortunately, as recorded 
in the Director's report of 1891, the enemies of 
shade tree planting are many and among them 
man is still the greatest. It is very discouraging to 
see the havoc wrought by the scoundrel who, passing 
along the road with a caftij or knife, deli- 
berately cuts down a young sapling, leaving it on 
the roadside as evidence of his wanton misconduct. 
But for such misconduct shelter to travellers would 
already be an accomplished fact and conduce greatly 
to the public comfort. — Report of tUe Director of Pahlic 
Worls for 1892. 
PULPING LIBERIAN COFFEE. 
The oultivation of Liberian coffee is exteudiog in 
msuy pirts of the worl(<, espeoialiy in Java, the S:raits 
Seltlements and the W st coast ot Africa. Informa- 
tion respecting this coli .; has beea given rather fully 
iu the Ken- BidUlin {'08, p. 261, and '90. pp. 107 and 
245). In the Keiv HuUedn for '92, pp. 277-282 there 
ia given a detailed acuount with the actual yield of 
several estates in the Malay States showing that 
Liberian coffee can be successfully established at 
elevations muoh below thos3 suited for Arabian coffee 
and further that crops of 9 to 12 cwt. per acre can 
be obtained from trees after the third or fourth year. 
Iu some countries difficulty has been experienced 
ia preparing Liberian coffee for the market. Inquiry 
has often been addressed to Kew on the subject, and 
it is desirable to place on record such faotu as have 
been obtained after careful inquiry amougst persons 
possessing the neces lery experience. 
It ia well known that when the Liberian coffee is 
ripe the pulp investing the beans is never soft as in 
Arabian coffee. It is generally of a tough fibrous 
character, and ofEirs consiiferable resistance during the 
process of pulping, 1 hia circumbtacce bus diacouraged 
many people just starting, and alter vainly trying 
to overcome the difficulty, they have given up the 
oaltivatioQ of Liberian coffee as impracticable. It 
would appear, however, that if rightly managed there 
is no special hindrance to be overcome. The first 
point to be atteudpd to is to pick tlie cherries w hen 
perfectly lipe, aLd whm brought in they should be 
passed through a simple machine calleJ a " fizer," 
iu order to (jbtain two or three lotH vt ch-^rriea of 
similar size. Cliorries of unequal siz * oauijot be 
saocoaifnlly treated. Thai is well uoderdt^iod b> every- 
one who has had experioLce with Liberian or indeed 
any coffee. When tho cherries have been sized they 
are then to ba passed through the " pulper.'" There 
art* special pulpiug maolunea prepared for treatiug 
Liberian ooflee tittud withao adjuatable "breast" suited 
to diSereut sizes of cherries. 
There are other and larger maohinea combiniDg both 
a sizer and pulper in one. A machine of this lattei 
kind made by John Gordon & Co. of London ii 
described as follows ; — 
"The machine is provided with a rotary screen and 
an elevatjr ; it is also fitted with a patent adjastable 
breast, having removable working parts made of steel. 
" The hopper is divided into two unequal parts, 
and the coffee borries are delivered into the larger 
division with a constant stream of water, the water 
being absolutely neoaasary to float the coffee over into 
the michino and to crry off the pulp and skina. 
The oefee berries which owing to difference in 
size, pass through the machine unpulped are dis- 
charged by the screen into the elevator and delivered 
by it into the smaller division of the hopper, and 
thence they pass into a separate channel of the 
breast, which should be adjusted to the size of the 
berries thus brought into the machine by the elevator. 
"The working of the machiue is simple, and the 
only part which requires care is the breast, and if 
this be ca-efuUy fixed and its ohannela iotelligeatly 
regulated, no difficulty whatever will be found in 
obtaining pood results always provided that the coffee 
be ripe and freshly picked," 
A smaller machine capable of being worked by hand 
is aleo made by the same firm. The makers attach 
great importance to certaio points considered essential 
in regard to Liberian coffee. These have already been 
briefly allued to. They say that "in order to obtain 
good results, it is imperative that the coffee be ripe, 
freshly picked and fed ioto the machine with a con- 
stant stream of uiater." 
Farther information on the treatment of Liberian 
coffee is contained iu the following correspondence: — 
Messrs. John Gordon & Co., to Royal Qardens,Kew, 
Dash wood House, 9, New Broad Btreet, B.C., 6tli 
May 1893. 
Dear Sir, — We thank you for your favour of yes- 
terday, and shall be very 'pleased to forward copies 
of our catalogue to the addresses you have kindly 
favoured us with. AVe have supplied pulpers for 
Liberian coffee to Jara, West coast of Africa, and 
mostly to the Malsy Peninsula. One firm ther», 
Messrs. Hill and Rathbone have had six or seven 
pulpers ; they have also our peelers and separators, 
You tuay know that we sent Mr Hart of the Bo- 
tanical Gardens, Trinidad, one of our small pulpers 
with which he obtained very good results. 
It is quite imperative that water be used in pulp- 
ing, and where it is not riTitainable the only coarse 
we fear, is to dry the coueo u t.io cherry, when 
it can very well be peeled only this take3 some power. 
— Yours truly, (Signed) John Goedon & Co. 
D. Morris, Eiq., Royal Gardens, Kew. 
Messrs. John Gordon &Co. to Royal Gardens, Kew. 
9, New Broad Street, London, E.G., 10th May 1893. 
De»r Sir, — We are ebliged by your favour of yes- 
terday, and we now beg to inform you that our 
peelers and separators will treat Liberian equally as 
well as ordinary Arabian coffee, and that as far as 
these machines are concerned there is no difference in 
c jnatru'^tion. It ia opiy in the operation of pulping 
where difficulty has been found, necessitating a special 
pulper. — Yours truly, (SiRned) John Gordon '& Oo, 
D 5 Morris. Esq,, F.L.B., Royal Gardens, 'Kew. — 
Kew Bulletin, 
PRUNING. 
{From a Practical Horticulturist.) 
The following Brtiole on pruning refers more to 
fruit-bearirg trees and especially to apples and 
pears; but the parts I have underlined (Jfalic.f 
shows it is not good as a rule to prune too hard, 
and tho ooucludiog part that oooasionally it is 
necessary to ouo back hard, wbioh I believe is the 
correct thing with tea say 3, 4 or 6 years as the 
oase may demand : — 
