1 Sepr., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 221 
average profit to the planter estimated at 150 per cent., and naturally stimu- 
lated planting to an enormous degree. As it requires several years to bring 
the coffee plant to a bearing and paying ‘stage, the effect of the enormous 
extension of plantations has only been seriously felt in the past two years ; but 
whilst it takes some years for the coftee-tree to bear, it continues to bear for 
many vears, and therefore the iow prices and depressed condition of the coffee 
interest is likely to continue for some time. An interesting feature of the 
transactions of the year is the increase of foreign capital which has been 
invested in Brazilian coffee plantations. Itis reported that extensive properties 
in the States of Santo Paulo and Minas Geraes have been acquired by Huropean 
syndicates, chiefly English; and it is also said that a company has beep 
organised at Antwerp, which will have a branch at Santos for the purpose of 
buying coffee of the planters direct, and selling it by retail in Hurope for 
account of said planters. The receipts of Rio this year up to lst May were 
3,896,000 bags, against 3,156,000 for the first four months of 1897.— 
Grocers’ Journal, 21st May. 
COFFEE IN MEXICO. 
(From the Mexican.) . 
All the coast States of Mexico south of the 25 degrees are suitable for coffee 
culture, and the finest plantations are found about Vera Craz on the east 
coast, the States of Colima and the Michoacan on the west coast, and the 
Isthmus of Tehuantepec. 
One of the most successful coffee-growers in the republie gives his 
experience in its culture as follows :— 
When I came to Mexico, ten years ago, I had 20,000 dollars in gold, which, 
by the way, is as small a sum as anyone should ever undertake the business with. 
Most of the failures in the coffee business, and they are many, are due to the 
fact that the parties have insuflicient means to wait from five to seven years 
before realising anything from the crop. I had had some experience in coffee- 
growing in the Hawaian Islands, previous to coming to Mexico, and learned 
some very dear lessons there, having planted my trees at too low an elevation, 
and lost the entire plantation from the rust which prevails at an altitude of 
from 1,000 to 2,000 feet above sea level, where most of the plantations located 
in former days. 
I selected 500 acres of land in the State of Vera Craz, among the 
primeval forest, at an elevation of 3,000 feet, paying 12°50 dollars in Mexican 
silver per acre. The land wasa rich loam, rather rocky, and cost me 8 dollars 
per acre to clear. Thus, you see, the first outlay was about 10,250 dollars. I 
left trees at a distance of about 25 feet, as they were large, and I calculated 
that one tree would shade three or four coffee-plants. All the land was on a 
side hill, where drainage would be good, thus preventing too much dampness 
about the roots of the plants. I selected young plants trom a nursery, paying 
about 800 dollars for sufficient plants for my 500 acres of ground. Of course, 
the cost was much higher ten years ago than now. The distance at which to 
set trees is a mooted question, some claiming that they may be set as close as 
3% feet, others say that the proper distance is Sto 10 feet. In India and Ceylon 
the average distance is 6 feet, with the trees topped at about 4 feet. In 
Guatemala they are set at about 9 feet, andthe trees allowed to attain their 
natural height of about 20 feet. Each planter has his own opinion, but from 
my experience I am convinced that 10 feet is the proper distance in this State, 
where the conditions are somewhat different from the west coast of the 
Isthmus of Tehuantepec. I set my trees in holes 18 inches deep by 18 inches 
square, carefully removing all stones and roots from the surrounding soil. ‘The 
holes were left open for about three weeks, and the plants placed in them just 
at the beginning of the rainy season. 
When the trees attained the age of eighteen months I had them topped to 
aheight of 4 feet, which caused them to throw out more vigorous branches, 
and from these sprang “ suckers,’ most of which I had removed. It requires 
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