118 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTrPJST. 
[August 1, \m. 
are the work ot nature. But in the instancet 
referred to, man must get the credit of having 
materially helped Nature by providing a new species 
for the latter tu work upon." 
An important factor which haa tended to minimise 
the chances of cross-fertilisation between Liberiau 
and Arabian coffee, notwithstanding that many 
lakhs of the former variety have been planted out in 
the coffee districts during the past decade, is found 
in the fact that whereas Liberian coffee blosf om opens 
out within 0^ days of the first good shower, it fades and 
drops oif within y6 hours; whereas the Arabian variety 
requires 9 to 10 days to reach the former stage, and 
unless displaced by rain usually retaius its position on 
the branches from 48 to 60 hours. 
The first hybrid Liberian-Arabiau discovered iu 
Wynaad, about which reliable details are forthcoming, 
was observed amongst some plants grown from seed at 
Btake (raised from Liberian seed) iu 1890. This original 
hybrid tree is now nearly 8 years old. It has never 
shown the slightest signs (jf leaf disease, although 
surrounded by Liberian and Arabian, both of which 
varieties have been severely attacked by the blight 
year after y. ar. The rapid growth of this original tree 
has bO'-ii phenouicn il, tlioutih \'. is on ordinary b imboo 
jaud, at an elevation of about 2,300 ieet above sea lc\ el, 
and with an annual ramlall of about 85 inches. Tho 
following figures furnish the crop yielded by this tree:— 
1893 at 2i years old 1 seer sound parchment 
1894 „ 3^ ,, 3 seers do 
1895 „ 4i „ 8 „ do 
1896 „ 5i „ 4J „ do 
or nearly 16 seers within the four years, so that omit, 
ting the " virgin crop," the yield was 5J seers parch- 
ment per annum average. 
So far experience shows that these Liberian-Arabiau 
hybrids should bo planted 8 feet apart, which would 
give about 660 trees per acre, arid assuming that 
each tree yielded only 4 t^eers parchment annually, 
equal 1-7 of an impeiial bushel the return works 
out to about 94J bushels per a re, or aporoxiinalely 
to a ton an acie alt round. An encournging feature 
oonnuctrd with Ui'- plan .> r:.i.sjj ivom tho seed of 
this original hybrid is that they have hitherto been 
fonud iiuuiune from leaf disease, altluiugh nowover 
4 years old, while their prudaotivene^b promises to 
equal that of the parent tree. It is believed that 
high, light shade is necessary to protect hybird 
coffee, this advantage insuring infer alia, less risk 
of injury from bover. One or two noticeable peculia- 
rities with hybirds are that the spike on this variety 
is always much more forward iu the spring thau 
that of either Liberian or Arabian. Moreover, the 
spike opens in either 7 or 8 days. The crop requires 
nearly 12 mouths to nuxture, and the beau is shorter 
and bulkier than Liberian, though of course larger 
than ordinary Arabian coffee. The best original 
hybrids hitherto observed have all been raised from 
seed gathered oS pure Liberiiu, while the ensuing 
generation nas also been found fairly true to type, 
notwithstanding the absence of protective arrange- 
ments to guard against cross fertilisation during the 
flowering season. 
Tho follewing is the history of another hybrid tree, 
which is, if possible, more encouraging than the 
instance already quoted. In 1892 a two-leaved seed- 
ling, rooted in a basket raised from the seed gathered 
off a pure Liberian, was planted in semi-abandoned 
Arabian coffee, opened in 1862, together with Liberiau 
seedlings. About a year later, this seedling presented 
suoh marked peculiarities that it attracted attention, 
its foliage differing from the surrounding Liberian 
plants, while it far outstripped the latter in growth. 
This laud has a South aspect, elevation 3,400 feet 
above sea-level, and an annual rainfall of about 140 
inches, and so far this hybrid, which in foliage, etc, 
closely resembles the original hybiid tree first des- 
cribed, bids fair to equal the latter in all essential 
points. 
It is as yet premature to judge whether hybrids 
grown from the seed of hybrid plants that have been 
raised from the produce of the original hybrid tree, will 
retain all the distinctive pecularities of the latter ; 
but as the efSoient protection of the blossom 
from external influence is believed to insure the re- 
production of the same strain exactly, the reasonable 
inference follows that it is merely a question of time, 
careful selection, both of the teed and plants, to 
effect the gradual introduction of the Liberi»u Arabian 
variety all over the coffee districts. We understand 
that Messrs. Parry dL' Co. have already initiated Uie 
opening of an hybrid coffee estate in their Vellera 
MuUa Forest. Messrs. Arbuthnot & Co., are also plant, 
ing the same species iu their South Wynaad properties 
while an offer of a rupee per hea/i from an original 
hybrid tree, for the eiwuinn 3 years, Jjas been de- 
clined by the fortunate owner. Should, therefore, 
the favourable anticipatious now lialJ of Liberian- 
Arabiau hybrids be realised, coffee planters I ave a 
fair prospect of profitable returns, year by year iu 
South India, and as coffee paid well iu Cevlon prior 
to the inroads of leaf disease, suitable lauds in lliat 
Island may a'so eventually be turned into paving cctfeo 
estates— J/. Mail. r - 6 
PLANTIN(; NOTES. 
HVBRID COFFKI; IS SOI.THKRN' InDI.V. — We 
draw attention tu au interei*tini; <1eli\eiauce on 
this subject from the Madras Mail, referred 
to in our Tropiml Agricultarist, which points 
to the po-ssibility of a hybrid coffee between the 
Liberian and Arabian varieties capab'e of with, 
standinfj disease and yielding better crops than 
eitlier of the parents, being found perma- 
nently prolific. It is too soon, however, to 
make sure of success. In Ids first Report (for 
189G) Mr, Willis referred to the great expecta- 
tions aroused by a similar hybrid in Java. It 
would be interesting to know what Dr. Tieub 
has to say aboiit this Java liybrid ? 
MaVGOSTEKNS from the We.ST LVDIE.S 
Plants ot this well-knowii and delicious tropical 
iruii have been widely disiliiliutcd from Kew 
to the West Indies. The Man;io.>-teen i» a native 
of the .Molucca Islands, and is cultivated in 
tlie Straits Settlement, Java, and in one or two 
localities in India and Ceylon, The fruit is 
regularly shipped from Singapore to the Calcutta 
market. The lirst West Indian fruits were pro- 
duced at the Botanic Garileus, Trinidad, in 1875. 
In September 1891, the Governor of that i.-<land 
forwarded some West India Mangosteens for 
presentation to her Majesty the Queen. The 
ilangosteen fruited for the first time in the 
Jamaica Botanic Gardens in 1886 (" Kew Bulle- 
tin," 1895, ()age 79). Last year a bo.x was re- 
ceived at Kew from Mr. J H Hart, F.L.S., of 
Trinidad, containing nine fruits of Maugosteen, 
which were perhaps the first to leacli this coun- 
try in a condition to allow their merits to be 
appreciated. Each fruit was se|iarately packed 
in a compartment wi^ii pine wool. Owing to the 
firm consistency of the outer wall of the fruit 
it appears to travel well. The fruits were dis- 
tributed to the Secretary of State for the Colo- 
nies and others. The reports received were 
uniformly favourable. One fruit was sent to 
Mr, George Munio, one of the leading fiuifc 
meichauts in Covent Garden, to obtain an 
opinion as to prospects of .shipments of Mongos- 
leens to tliis country. Mr. Munro reported": — 
" Yours to hand. I cut open the fruit and 
showed it to some of my best customers, and 
they think with me that, if they came in good 
condition, and not too many at "first, a business 
could be worked up in them. At any rate I 
sliould like to try some, and if sent, will do 
all I can to get a trade for them. Phey appear 
to be a fruit that would carry well." — " Kew 
Bulletin," 
