April 1, 1902.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTUEIST. 
663 
2. Various flowering shrubs may be bloomed ia 
much less time than by the usual process. Plants of 
the same variety not etherised have not bloomed, or 
have bloomed badiy, in the comparative trails, or 
perhaps some opened their flowers in eight or ten 
days (according to the variety) after those that were 
treated with the ether. 
3. Etherised plants can be forced at a lower tem- 
perature than that which is essential for the blooming 
of those not etherised. 
Besides Lilacs, Herr Ledien also made experiments 
with Viburnum tomentosum syn. plicatum, Azalea 
mollis, Prunus triloba, Deutzia gracilis, Lily of the 
Valley, Hyacinth, Eose, and cut branches of orna- 
mental spriog-flowering shrubs. Azalea mollis and 
Viburnum did well ; Prunus triloba was less amen- 
able to the action of the ether ; Deutzia gracilis failed 
altogether. Lilies of the Valley etherised and placed 
in heat on November 21 flowered in the proportion 
of 40 per cent, on the twenty-first day, while of 
those not etherised only 2 per cent, flowered, and 
these in a temperature of 23° C. For late forcing 
of Lily of the Valley the ether had but little effect, 
80 that it seemed better in that case to keep the 
plants in the refrigerating apparatus or in cool 
chambers. For Roses the results were not altogether 
decisive, although a very marked advance was re- 
ported. 
Branches of Azalea mollis cut and etherised ex- 
panded their flowers iu twenty-three days, while the 
buds on brunches not treated did not open until 
twelve days after. The greatest success was with 
Lilacs, Viburnum, and Azaleas. Viburnum plicatum, 
though slow to bloom, placed in heat on December 
2, was in full bloom about December 14 : while tlioss 
plants not etherised yielded only poor flowers at a 
much latter date. 
Azalea mollis submitted to ether on Nov, 26, and 
brought indoors on the 2Sth, was covered with flowers 
on December 20, although the check plants only 
bloomed partially in the beginning of January. The 
more nearly the normal season of* the flowering of 
the shrubs is approached, the less vigorous is the 
effect of the ether. The value of etherisation, then, 
is for early forcii.g in November and December, when 
the flowering can be hastened by some two or three 
weeks. 
Plants lifted from the borders without preliminary 
attention during the summer, flower as normal'v as 
if forced in January or February. This, it must be 
confessed, is an immense advance in the forcing in- 
dustry. 
The application of the treatment in not without 
certain inconveniences and difficulties at the com- 
meueement. The vapour of the ether is inflam- 
mable, so that no light must be brought into places 
where plants are etheised until the vapour has been 
thoroughly dispersed by ventilation ; no fire or light 
must be allowed anywhere in the neighbourhood of 
the ether. 
There is still some difficulty in administering the 
ether to ensure perfect volatilisation. The plants 
should remain plunged in the vapour for a certain 
time, about forty-eight hours, and this must be in 
an absolutely air-tight place, to prevent the escape 
of the vapour. The larger the area, the more pre- 
cautions bhould be taken both to concentr9,te the 
vapour during the period of etherisation, and to en- 
sure its rapid dispersal after the operation. 
For forcing on a large scale, cemento'l buildings 
with a door and several ventilators, the interstices 
of which are hermtticHlly sealed so as to prevent 
the escape of any ether, are most convenient. The 
interior arrangement should be such that every 
corner can be filled with plants, so as not to waste 
(he ether nnueoesBarily. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 
COFFEE CULTIVATION IN BRAZIL. 
Brazil is pre-eminently a coffee-producing couutry, 
the tree being introduced into Pa,ra, from Cciyenne, in 
1727. While coffee can be grown in nearly all parts 
of the couutry, its cultivation in the present century 
has been limited to a comparatively small zone, com- 
prising the four States of Espirito Santo, Minaa 
Geraes, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo. It is produced 
in other States, but m small quantities. The soil of 
R o de Janeiro being already somewhat exhausted, 
Sao Paulo ia in rea ity the great centre of production 
of the plant. Brazil furnishes more than 6U per cent, 
of the world's consumption of coffee, and it is claimed 
by some that the percentage is as high as 70 per cent. 
In 1890, Brazil produced 490,000 tons ; Central America 
and Mexico, 80,0U0 ; Java and Sumatra, 6ii,000 ; Haiti 
and Santo Domingo, 43,000, Cuba and Porto Rico, 
35,000 ; India, 30,000 ; Africa, 20,000 ; and other places, 
100,000 tons. In 1898, the production of Brazil was 
estimated at 1,533,840,000 pounds, or 11,620,000 bags 
out of a total production of 1,960,619,288 pounds for 
all America, while Asia and Africa produced only 
145,464,000 pounds or 1,102, 000 bags. According to a 
recent report of the Bureau of the American Re. 
publics, coffee trees prefer wild, uncultivated lands, 
hill sides, or elevated lands. These are cleared of 
their trees and brushwood, and plants oi;e year old 
are planted, averaging 400 to the acre. The plant 
does not begin to produce until it is 4 years o d, its 
maximum production being reached between the ages 
of 6 and 20 years, after which it diminishes in pro- 
ductiveness. When the trees reach the age of 85 or 40 
years it is generally necessary to renew the plantation. 
The coffee tree attains an average height of 10 feet, 
and its head a diameter of 5 feet. It blooms and 
yields a crop twice a year, but the most important 
is that beginning in April or May, and coutinuiog to 
November. The only fertilisers used are the leaves of 
the coffee tree, the shells of the berry, and weeds, as 
it ia necessary to keep the plantation free from all 
extraneous matter. The tree shouid be protected 
from cold winds. Its worst enemy is frost, which 
sometimes causes the tree to cease producing for a 
number of years, occasioniug greater loas than the 
parasitical diseases with which it is afliicted. Tha 
berry resembles very closely the cranberry, and con- 
tains two grains, with their flatt ued sides towards 
each other. Each of the two is c vered with a closely 
adhering membrane, callec" pergaminho, and outside 
of this is a thicker and more loosely fitting coat called 
casquinlia. The two grains, with their coverings, 
are contained in a tough shell, called casca, and 
this is sui rounded by a white pulp and outer red 
skin, thus forming the berry. To prepare the coffee 
for market, all these cuveriugs are removed. The 
outer pulp is removed, after masceration iu water, 
by a machine called despolpador, A trough, lined 
with cement, is placed on a hiU-side above the mill, 
and through it a stream of water is kept running. 
Into this the coffee berries are thrown, and are carried 
down the stream into a large vat, ' In this vat the 
heavier berries sink to the bottom, whence they 
are drawn off through a pipe to the despolpador. 
This raaohiue removes the pulp, the berries passing 
with the water to another vat beyond, where the 
prlp is thoroughly washed off and carried away with 
the water, while the coffee grains sink to the bottom, 
an i thence, passing to a strainer, the water is all 
drained off, leaving them ready for the process of 
dryiug. Two methods of drying dre in use in Brazil ; 
the old proces.'i, which consists in spreading the 
grains on a cement covered pavement, called terreiro, 
where they are allovifed to dry in the sun. For this 
about i/wo mouths are necessary, and the grains have 
to be raked over and turned during the aay, and 
gathered into piles, and covered at night, or when- 
ever a shower comes. The more modern and 
satisfactory process of drying by steam is employed 
QB many of the larger plantations. By this procgaa, 
