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If the French Officers had not travell’d to Movab the Capital of 
Tetnen, we fhould ftill have been ignorant of one Particularity which 
relates to the Coffee Trees, and has hitherto been taken notice of 
by no Author, 'uiz. That in Places that lie towards the South, or 
are very much expofed, the Coffee Trees arc planted under other 
great Trees, which they take to be a kind of Poplars, and thefc 
ferve to skreen them from the cxceffivc heat of the Sun. The In- 
habitants arc perfwaded, that without this Shade, the Flowers of the 
Coffee Tree would be Toon quite burnt up, and fo never produce 
any Fruit, and our Travellers were convinced of the truth of this, 
by what they obferved in fome Trees, growing in fuch Places with- 
out the advantage of a Shade. Thcfe Poplars extend their Branches 
very much on all fidcs, and form a fort of Umbrellay which covers 
intirely whatever is found under it. 
• 
It was at fome diflance from the City of Tagus where they faw 
the firfl Coffee Trees, that they likewife obferved this Singularity j 
the Country being there open, and much expofed to the burning 
heat of the Sun. Each Poplar had a certain number of Coffee Trees 
under it, through the whole Plantation ; they being planted in rows, 
as they do the Apple Trees in Normandy. 
In other Places which arc not fo much expofed to the Sun, thefe fha- 
dy Trees arc not to be found, there being no occafion for them : 
But there, as well as every where elfe, the Coffee Trees Band in 
Lines, at a fraall diflance from one another. 
I cannot help obferving here, by the by, that it was undoubtedly 
the Coffee Trees being planted under others, that led Monfieur Bernier 
into the miftakc of thinking this Plant a Species of the Convolvulus. 
Dr. Robinfon has long ago made this Remark, but it could not be 
known at that Time, what had given occafion to Monjieur Berni- 
ers Miflakc. 
But to go on with Monjieiir la Roque. As for the Cofffe Harvefl, 
fays he, fincc the fame Tree is at the fame Time often loaded with 
Flowers, and green and ripe Fruit 5 that mufl: ncceflarily happen at 
three different Seafons i but as thefe are not all regular and fixed, 
the Arabians reckon but one Harveft in the Year, which is always 
in May^ the far greateft quantity of Coffee being gathered at that 
Time. 
• For this purpofc they fpread a Canvas under the Tree, and then 
fhake it ; and this brings away with cafe all the Coffee that is throughly 
ripe. 
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