Fides dh ‘ ‘ 
er a pte, 0 iw. . 4 
QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL:JoURNAL, ~ [1 Mar, 190) 
‘ 
sickly appearance ; or if the coffee is young, have -the opposite effect of at 
permitting any growth at all, and keeping the ‘plant‘so-stunted as to bet 
barkbound and practically useless. 
Corn or such crops heat the ground, and in this way hav 
opposite effect on the coffee to shade from trees. There is just the di 
between these shades as between a great-coat and an umbrella—the on? 
keep off the direct rays of the sun but retains all the heat, while the a 
allows of free circulation of air. Trees, by the amount of dropped leah 
keep the ground moist under them. Corn extracts the moisture, av! 
little or nothing for the coffee. 
-Mulching.—I£ this is resorted to, it should be done just at the end of ost 
wet weather, and only green matter used. During the dry weather ® - 
earth mulching will do better than a grass mulching by breaking the contin 
of the capillary tubes through which the moisture is extracted, and retails i 
where it is readily available to the plant roots. The green mulch, on the ° tf 
hand, retaining the moisture above the surface of the ground, attracts the a 
to it where they are liable to harm from exposure by removal or rotting 4% a 
the mulch, or even scorching in spite of the mulch, in continued very 
weather. ; oo, 
Continued heavy mulching with greenstuffs during the rainy srt 
although the mulch rots quickly enough, is apt to encourage if not Pt j 
fungoid growths about the roots, and should therefore be avoided. he 
Blights.—Blights of any serious nature on coffee in Queensland may ad | 
said to be conspicuous by their absence. Some little time back there ag 
appear to have been a rumour that Hemeleia vastatria had appeared, Ke 
understand it was proved to be a fallacy on reference to the Govern, | 
Entomologist. Hitherto no sign of its presence has been observed, @” Jon 
great credit cannot be given to the Department of Agriculture for it opel | 
sighted policy in endeavouring to prevent its importation. It is to be at 
that private. individuals will assist rather than hinder the Depart | 
endeavour in this direction, and refrain from ever attempting the impor ed 
of either coffee or plants or even the seed of shade trees from the ink ai 
localities, for, knowing the terrible ravages of this disease, there is but 6 
doubt that the coffee industry, young, flourishing, and with the bright prospe 
that it has, will be doomed. pct es 
Cutting Weeds.—The remark re cutting weeds in the wet season. may fil 
inexplicable to many readers in this colony, perhaps, as well as to outsiders: 
must be borne in mind, especially in countries where it is considered a ined 
non to keep the coffee as clean as a new pin all the year round, that in T 
and with short labour it is almost impossible to keep up such works durine 
wet season, when not only is the growth quicker, but the weather jun a 
continued work. Moreover, the leaving of weeds, if sickled down betore wl 
possibility of seeding, has the advantage of saving wash and covering the 02 | 
during the alternating hot spells, as well as cheapness or speed of exeC¥s a, | 
and the weeds take little or nothing from the soil if kept cut, the more esp hot 
if conscientiously followed up by a digging or deep hoeing as soon as the 
weather sets in. 
THE ROOT GROWTH OF COFFEE PLANTS. 
By HOWARD NEWPORT, 
Instructor in Coffee Culture. 4 pit | 
Tue matter of care and attention to the raising ef seedlings has received 
scant notice in any of the works on coffee culture, several of which are gene 
to be found in the countries where coffee-growing as an industry has at") is 
any dimensions worth mentioning. Yet it is one of the most important f Vg? 
of coffee-planting, and in this country, I find, frequently the cause of 
and disappointment among growers starting. 
