826(6 
THE TROPICAL 
AGEICULTLTJST. 
[June 1, 1899. 
prevailing variety on the estate. 'Xhis is all right 
where the prevailing strain is good. But where the 
product for which a plant is cultivated show.^ signs 
of exhaustion, or has become deficient in quality or 
quantity, the strain is said to have " run-dov^n," and 
in all such cases too much individualism in reproduc- 
tion is undesirable. It is in all probability to prevent 
this lunniug down ot strain or breed that nature in- 
sists on cross-fertilization. 
Coffea arahica, or Arabian coffee, of which there 
are several well-defined local varieties known by such 
names as " Cbick," Coorg and " Malknad," has been 
almost exclusively cultivated in this country from the 
time the industry was started, and it is only within 
recent years that one or two new varieties and species 
have been introduced and cultivated on the estates. 
This fact will explain the absence of hybrids over such 
an extensive area, there being no material to make 
hybrids from. Yet, within the past few years, some 
hybrids have ariade their appearance, shortly follow- 
ing the introduoti«Q of Liberian coffee, a distinctly 
new species. And, barring the fact that two distinct 
species have been placed in juxtaposition to each 
other, the hybrids are the work of nature. But in 
the instances referred to, man must get the credit 
of having materially helped nature by providing a 
new species for the latter to work upon. 
If he would, therefore, do more in this direction, 
the chances are that worn-out strains of coSee would 
soon be replaced by better kinds. 
This leads me on to the suggestion that approved 
varieties and new species of coffee should be freely 
introduced from other countries. The field for ex- 
periment would then be much widened, as planters 
would have sufficient material to work upon. 
The cultivated forms of coffee indifferent parts of 
the world are already so far advanced of the indige- 
nous or wild bush that it would probably be mere 
waste of effort to bring the latter into expuiments, 
the object of which is to secure further improvement 
in productiveness and quality. Collections of species 
and varieties should, therefore, be confined, in the 
first instance at least, to well-known jiits already in 
cultivation. These I shall leave the planter, being 
the best judge, to select for himself. Now supposing 
that some enterprising planter has already secured 
such a collection of coffee-bearing plants, how is he 
to dispose of them to the best advantage ? 
This is a question that I shall endeavour to answer 
in my next. 
With one or two new species of coffee at one's 
disposal, and a like number of distinctly marked varie- 
ties, such as the " Maragogipe,'' which is an intro- 
duced variety {from Brazil) of Coffea avabica, an ex- 
perimental plot could be started on the following 
lines : — 
(a) S tuatioB, as regards aspect, soil, water and 
shade, to be the best the estate can afford. Occasional 
irrigation will possibly be required to induce the dif- 
ferent bushes to blossom together, so that the pos- 
session of a perennial water-supply wjuld be a conve- 
nience. 
(&) The crossing-plot need not exceed one-eighth 
or at greatest one-fourth of an acre in extent, while it 
is possible that equal results may be obtained by 
working systematically on a few bushes. 
(c) In planting up the crossing-plot, an equal 
number of healthy seedlings of the estate coffee 
should be thoroughly mixed with the new kinds, so 
that winged insects may have full play on the whole. 
But in addition to the general and haphazard 
operations performed by the insects, a few bushes 
should be carefully isolated for hand-fertilization. 
For the latter purpose a few skeleton frames covered 
with fine muslin would be a sufficient protection, it 
placed over the bushes before the flowers opened. 
Plant in a square plot at 6 >^ G feet, ao that air may 
circulate around the bushes freely. The preliminary 
details which I have emphasised under the sub- 
headings a, h and c will keep the planter employed 
for at least two years, or to be strictly accurate, 
until a maiden crop of flowers is produced in the 
crossing-plot. 
Then, at this latter stage, the work of fartiliiation 
will actually begin, should several distinct kinis of 
coffee flower simultaneously. Unprotected bushes will 
be pollinated through the agency of insects chiefly, 
while the protected ones will be self-pollinated, 
should no precautions be taken to prevent it. Where 
bushes are intended for haad-fsrtilization, it will be 
necessary in the early stages of reproductive growth 
to rub off a great many of the young flower buds, 
so that the inflorescence of aa individual may be 
reduced to a manageable number of flowers. For 
that matter, the flowers could be reduced to what 
is borne on a single primary, or to a few clusters 
of the same. The necessity for this apparently 
ruthless treatment is contained in the fact that, 
during the short time the stigma is receptive of 
foreign pollen, the fertilizer could only pollinate a 
limited number of flowers with any degree of certainty. 
It is, therefore, wiser to make sore of getting a few 
goods crosses than to attempt a larger number 
indiscriminately. Let as now suppose that the opera- 
tion is about to take place. Having provided himsrlf 
with the marginally no- 
A fine camel's-hair brush ; ted requioites, and se- 
small, sharp penknife ; small lected a protected bush 
sharp pair of scissors; pocket to become the seed- 
lens ; flowering branch from bearer, the fertiliser 
male parent, with pollen. places himself under the 
protective frame and 
eagerly watches for the opening of the first flower. 
Directly the flower opens (usually early in the 
morning), there will be seen, slightly projecting from 
its delicate-white throat (tube of the corolla) a bifid 
or two-horned stigma supported by 5 — 7 arrow-headed 
another on shorts on short stalks. At time of opening, 
the stigma, which is seen well in advance of the 
anthers, glistens with a sticky substance which holds 
fast any powdery matter, such as pollen, that ma^ 
fall on to it. VVhat the fertilizer has to do at this 
stage is to dust a little foreif^a pollen on to it by 
means of his camel's-hair brush. This done, he in- 
stantly, and deftly as pO'Ssible, cuts away the 
5—7 anthers behind the stigma. But as the anthers 
are usually closed at this early period, they could 
perhaps do no harm if they were left. Everything 
would depend on the behaviour, so to speak, of the 
stigma towards the new pollen by which it haa 
been fertilized. 
The process as described above has to be done with 
every flower until the primary or clusters of flowers 
reserved for crossing have been exhausted. A register 
is then made of the parentage on both sides, and after 
a day or two the bush is liberate 3 from its protectiag 
covering. 
I have examined many coffee flowers at the moment 
of opening, in most cases the stigma projects in 
advance of the anthers and the style lengthens rapidly. 
By this mems the spreading horns of the stigma 
afford a goad platform for small bees and other 
insects to rest upon when searching for honey. Then 
flitting from one stigma to another they deposit 
quantities of pollen, which readily adheres to their 
hairy limbs. Grossing operations being completed, 
the next step would be to select a suitable piece 
of land for the cultivation and trial of seedlings 
raised from the crossing-plot, ii is in this final 
stags of the experiment that the exact result of 
cross-fertilization would become apparent, and not 
before. 
But the operator needs to possess patience, for 
among 10,000 seedlings cultivated there may not ba 
one showing real improvement in every respect. 
With our limited experience in crossing, it is un- 
certain what would happen, although there is reason 
to believe that cross-fertilization would induce bene- 
ficial variation in the growth and production of coffee. 
The land required for testing seedlings of mired 
parentage shonld be ot the best quality, and the 
cultivation should be on a liberal scale also. Area 
is a matter for the planter himself to decide, as 
it depends wholly on the extent of his operations, 
I do not, however, advocate large areas for mere 
e-^perimeutal work, When the seedlings give theij 
