782 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April i, 1899. 
BUDDING THE MANGO. 
The Journal of the Jamaica Agriculticial Society 
tor October remarks : — " Badding the raaugo has beeu 
generally considered aa iojpotiBibility, bat this ie a 
mistake, because it is doue by experts in Florida, 
and it can be done by others when understood. 
The secret lies in taking the buds from about the 
middle of the growing shpot where they are well devel- 
oped, and yet not too tender — where the colour of 
the bark is just taring from green to purple — and at 
a time just prior to a vigorous stage or growth in 
the tree to be budded. The shield method has been 
used, but the ring or plat* style would be better." 
CURE OF MANGE IN HORSES. 
Mr. W. Mewes, farmer Ht Emu Vale, writes re 
caie of mange in horses : — I w.ia ironblt d greiUly 
with maiige in tuy i ihe snmmpr before 
list, 1 applied the following simple remedy, and 
got rid of the pest completely in five or six 
weeks. I waited, before writing to yon, to 
see if the diseaiie was Roing to reappear this snm- 
mer. It has not done bo, hence I can vouch for the 
remedy. Recipe : Strain the water in which pota- 
toes has been boiled into a bucket, and allow it to 
oool. Mop the affected parte at midday and evening 
copiously with this potato water. Three times each 
day will hasten the cure. The mange will disappear 
before six weeks. We gladly welcome any remedy 
which has proved itself effectnal, but would advice 
those who think they have found a certain cure for 
this annoying disease to follow the example of Mr. 
Mewes, and wait for developmeuta before auuuuuciDg 
an infallible remedy. — From Qeensland Aqricultural 
J*urnal for February 1899. 
LIFE |IN JAMAICA. 
A CHAT WITH A COFFEE PLANTER, 
" Yes, I have been out now a considerable time," 
remarked Mr. , in answer to my question. I 
was out for a saunter on the hills, and had 
suddenly dropped into a coffee plantation, and 
also across the chief. Curiosity in the flr.st place 
had attracted my attention to th« coffee-growers' 
haunts ; and, secondly, being very partial to a 
good cup of that splendid beverage, I felt a con- 
siderable interest in the plant and its production 
and preparation for the table. I was fortunate 
in finding so ready and willing an informant as 
Mr. proved to be. 
On leaving the drying-shed we wound our way 
by a narrow stony path up a steep hill-side, 
plentifully sprinkled with low bushes about the 
size of gooseberry trees, with broad dark green 
le!?,ves, and well covered with little oblong-shaped 
berries, in most cases bright green, whilst several 
were ripe cherry colour. 
" Well, you see," «aid my guide, in answer to 
my query on the plentifulness of the coffee berry, 
"the higher one gets the cooler it is, and the 
cooler it is the later the crop of berries. Now, 
we have all sorts of land here— lowland plains, 
and hills, and even mountainous heights, and 
when the bloom is on the highland plantations 
■'■t'^fis i'ruib is being gathered in the lowlands." 
'■'■'1 wfta caught napping once or twice— %vell. I 
may say, inattentive, luy attention being taken 
by. 'the "'f)eautiful fertile mountain slopes, varied 
by pretty copes, .and piayfn.l little 'Yrateiialis, 
whilst hvmdreils of large stones covered with 
var ious hued mosses relieved the monotony of 
flai places, which constantly met one's eye during 
our walk. 
" Yes, it's a beautiful country," remarked Mr. 
, " and most productive, too. Out here east 
we get mostly oranges, bananas, lemsns, and 
such like ; whilst down west yonder, on the lower 
ground, fcugar cane is vastly produced. It doesn't 
pay, though, as it perhaps should. The bouniie* 
and one thing and aiiother make tlie foreijru 
sugai-K come at a lower rate into Eugli^h marketb. 
Out here even it is landed from German and 
I'rench refineries." 
We had by this time climbed to a prominent 
height, from where a considerable disUnce could 
be seen beyond the bright sparkling waters of the 
liarbour l.>elow, and a good biM s-eve view wa« 
obtained of Port Royal, at the end of a lone 
■strip of siind bank, with fever-Ntrick«ii Kingston 
at theolher in the neardisUnce, at the immediate 
foot of the hill. After returiiiug 1 w .^Uui to 
sit and make a rough sketch on two to rewi 
The branches of the colfee plant have dirtei^ul 
names. The principal is named the primary the 
next— a branch of the first -the .M'coiidarv" 'aitd 
.so on, and when picking the berry it has' l^^n 
noticed that those growing on branches iicarfsl 
the main siaik iti-e larger and of morv value than 
the fruit of the outlying stems. 
The plantation calls for the greatest attention 
every tree requiring pruning once a year at l.-iu<t: 
and the ground has to l>e hoed and kept dejirof 
deterionitiiig weed.s ycr>- often. This, i,,' .uMition 
to the labour of picking and cK-ausing tlie bcrrv 
and afterw ards sorting and u/ickiug for sliiiiuieuV 
mean.', an outlay of a good round sum before 
roasting and grinding can begin. Therefore, when 
the coffee is ready for the table, it has caused 
employment for ver>' many hands, and has been 
a bigcxi>ense. 
in Jaumica the industry is not at present m 
giMt as formerly. Many stations have doted 
and are closing, on account of the cutting down of 
f i^^-^' Ki-.i)<hicallT d.-uion«- 
trated this; fact bv a wave of his hand. PointiuK up 
the mountain side, he said, Within my memor^ 
this hill has been sotliickly covered as to cut out 
a sight of the slope ; now we liave only these 
few plants at the base." ' 
The cleansing process of the bern- proved 
very mteresting. I'he berry groXrs in" a thick 
skin, and the valuable part is again enclosed 
in a thin brown husk. The two coverings ar* 
got rid of by two processes. First, the whole 
bean IS passed through a machine, which crushes 
the berry slightlj% and throws it into a trough 
of water where it stays for some two days A 
curious thing here happens. For the mo.st part 
the berries sink to the bottom after being in 
water a little time, and those that do not sink 
are put aside as not being of the same value ai 
the heaver ones. This done, the whole heap is 
spread out to dry in big square yards with Con- 
crete flooring. The greatest care must now be 
exercised as, should a hea%T -shower of rain come 
on whilst drying, the subsequent flavour of the 
coffee IS interfered with ; so a weather prophet 
IS aJmost necessary at this juncture. After Care- 
fully drymg the water-wheel is again broutrht 
into play This wheel works two machines f he 
first we have noticed ; the next is a kind of a 
mortar, into which the beans are put, and a big 
wooden wheel, copper edged, slishtlv cmshes rhe 
berries and causes the thin husk to w^l o**' when 
It IS blown away by a large fan kept in mot ion "l/v 
tne same water-wheel. From this machine the 
beans come m a fit state to be roasted Prl 
dlfiv'lrV a^esnerally classiiied ii, 
different sizes, such as >os. 1, 2. 3. For th^v 
purpose a long cylindrical meo.=iure of wire-nettii 
is used. The whole of the h^^'^Vt^:^ 
do.vu uie measure, and come out at the" o^hc 
end through the holes which -sizes" them" " 
If the ben-y has been kept for some eighteen 
months after thus prepared, it adds to its fllvour 
w <=n1il,n ^?}'^^- Jamaican climate is 
not suitable to the produce of the finest brands - 
of coffee, but a good ai-omatic berry is cultivated. 
—Leeds Mercury. 
