THF TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
414 
[December i, 1890. 
the latter part of the followiag year (1875), we at last 
received two wardian caecB coutainiog 118 plants, 
which were lauded here iu the best possible condition. 
'Ihese plants had first made the voyage from 
Liberia via the Gape of Good Hope to Netherlands : 
they were unpacked at the Leyden Horms, and 
when they had somewhat recovered from the effects 
of their voyage they were replaced in wardian cases 
and sent by the steamer “ Oonrad ’’ of the Maatscbappy 
Nederland to Java. 
Tfie commander of the steamship was requested 
by the Government in Netherlands to bestow the 
utmost care on his valuable freight. I was in tbe 
roads when the “ Conrad” arrived, and on the same 
day the plants were safely placed in the National 
Gardens at Buiteuzorg. 
These were the first live Liberian coffee plants import- 
ed here, and although we cannot now declare that 
all the Liberian coffee at present growing iu Java derive 
its origin from those same plants, for since that 
time private persons have brought over further 
supplies, still such is tbe case to a great extent. In 
the early part of the year 1876, these plants were 
put out. As we knew little of this cultivation, the 
distance between the plants was fixed as usual at 6 
feet. It soon appeared that the plants were much too 
close together, and the distance apart was brougiit to 
10 ft., aua even this space was atterwanis found to be 
insufficient. Ihe Liberian is now generally planted 12 
feet apart, and yet it is foumJ that tbe entire ground 
is so lully taken up by the roots, that it would be better 
to give them more room. 
In the beginning of 1877 the first blossom began to 
show itseir; it was ihen feared that tlie new sort 
of coffee would produce very little, as only a single 
blossom showed itself at each joint of the branch. 
Happily it was soon found that such fear was ground- 
less, as an abundant show of spike speedily developed 
itself on every joint. The first crop of any importance 
was gathered iu the Experimental Garden between the 
midnie of June and ihe middle of August 1878. It is 
a curious fact that when this first crop was gathered, 
the trees grown under shade yielded 21 pdruls per bouw, 
whilst those fully exposed to the sun produced pikuls. 
The culture of the Liberian coffee is still new to us. 
We have yet to a great extent to le„rn it ; there is much 
that we do not know, but of one thing we may 
rest assured, that is, that this kind of coffee has a 
great future in store for many. It suits itself in a 
wonderful manner to all kinds of circumstances. I have 
seen fiue plantations on abandoned coffee lands, as 
well as in tea plantations under cultivation. This last 
fact, gentlemen, is worthy of remark, for it is well 
known that the roots of the tea plant permeate 
the soil in all directions like a net-work, so that 
there is literally not an inch of soil lelt free from their 
interlacing. Thus only a very strong plaut can flourish 
in such a position. 
I have seen thriving plantations of Liberian coffee 
at an elevation of a few hundred feet above tbe sea- 
level as well as at 2,000. 
In 1876 researches were instituted in Liberia at the 
instance of the Eegiish Government for the purpose 
of obtaining intormation from the natives regarditig 
the various circumstances in which this kind of coffee 
grew best. The particulars thus obtained were as 
follows : — 
Liberian coffee grows as well in tbe immediate neigh- 
bourhood of tlie sea ns in the interior, and it is 
cultivated at heights above sea-level varying from 10 
feet to 550 feet. The variety which produces small 
berries bears fruit in 18 mouths. The hargo sort is 
preferred becaiwo the coffee it yields is of better 
rjiiality and more abundant, although the first crop is 
not gathered until the third year, and in the more 
elevated districts the fruit is leas iu size. 
Under shade the tree does not come on well, 
though the grouud should bo well covered by planting 
the ireea close together, or liy covering the groimd with 
dry leaves, grass, &e. This is especially necessary for 
young plants. The distance of tho plants from each 
other varies from 0 to 12 feet. Eull-growu trees bear 
from 20 to 24 pounds of (dried 'i') fruit. 
XJniil we shall be in possession of tbe second volume 
of Buttikofer’s work, we are unable to say how far tbe 
above information can be relied on. The writer just 
named iiassed two years iu Liberia, and is in every 
sense of tbe term an observer who may be depended on. 
As regards shade it ts an established fact that Liberian 
coffee here requires shade. As 1 have previously stated 
iu the “ Teysmannia,” the first plants were divided 
into two lots, one of which was put cut iu the open 
and the other under shade of the Albizzia rnoluccana. 
They were in all other respects similarly circum- 
stanced. Those that were exposed to the full force of 
the sunshine at first did better, they grew more quickly, 
threw out branches lower done, and when three years 
old yielded one pikul per bouw more than the others. 
Then they began to shew signs of weakness, especially 
after a second good crop ; thny deteriorated perceptibly, 
became .sickly, and the ‘‘,jamur;,upas ” and leaf-disease 
commenced their devastations, and if the necessary 
shade was not speedily supplied, curtain decay soon 
followed. 
IVliy it is that Liberian coffee succeeds so well in its 
original habitat without auy shade, whilst here we 
leain from experience that shsde is indispensable, has 
not yet been explained. For iu other ceuuiries, Singa- 
pore for instance, and els where in the Straits, no shade 
is planted on coffee estates. 
Bt sides tbs experiments made in the State’s Gardens 
at Tjikeuineuh, many iilaufe-rs have learned fiom ex- 
pel lence that shad, is essential, .although it is an 
established fact that here we must have shade, the 
best kind of tr so for tbe purpos,; f .s not yet been ascer- 
tained. As bad been proved in tbe State's Experimental 
Garden shade is not necessary for tbe young plants, 
ior they are stronger when grown exposed to the 
d rect action of the .sun’s rays ; therefore a shade tree 
of quick growth is made use of and the coffee and 
its shade can be put into lha grouud at tne same 
time. The trees most in use are Albizr-ia rnoluccana &u A 
Erythrina (dadap), and which of these is to be preferred 
depends on local circumstances. There are places where 
the dadap grows badly ; inother localities the Alhizzia, 
has much to suffer from strong winds. Upon a large 
estate in a neighbouring re.-idency the dadap did not 
grow well, and it was decided to plaut the Albizna 
here and there ; this kept the grouud cooler and the 
dadap was then planted with success. The latter must 
be lopped for the purpose of forcing it to shoot up 
to the required height. 
Other trees besides there named are planted for the 
sake of the shade they afford, — the Caesalpinia dasyt- 
rhachys, with which good results have been obtained, 
amongst other places at Dramaga. 
These Caesalpinias which were discovered by the 
late Mr. Teysmaim during a journey through the Lim- 
pung districts, and thence introduced into the National 
Expenmentul Garden, attracted the attention of the 
late Heer IZeper at Aardaiiburg (Soekaboemie). This 
latter gentleman published an account of tbe properties 
of these trees iu the Journal of Agriculture and Industry 
(Jiet T'jichchrift wor Landhouw en Nijvecheid van N. 
Indie). The publication had for result that applica- 
tions were made by a great many people for seeds for 
tlio purpose of experiments. The limited quantity of 
seed iiroduced by the two trees of the kind iu the 
gardens did not furnish suflioieut to satisfy all the 
demands. 
Tlie native name of tliis tree in the Lampoug 
districts is Petah-Fetah, Petar or Pepetar. The Resident 
of the Districts named supplied some of the seed. 
The tree affords flue shade not too dense, and is 
stronger tlian the Alh. mol., but its growth is by no 
means so rapid. 
As regards tbe height above sea-level at which 
Liberian coffee cau be profitably grown, as far as we 
have seen, it succeeds well up to tbe height of two thou- 
sand feet ; but we are not in a position to say whether 
we cau safely go higher than that. There certainly 
are here and there trees that thrive admirably up to 
3,000 foe fc, and likev/iso jielda satisfactory quantity of 
fruit. And a planter in the Preauger Regencies in- 
formed mo that he had determined on forming a 
plantation at that height guided by the luxuriant 
