1 May, 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 389 
COFFEE CULTURE IN QUEENSLAND. 
No. 10. 
By HOWARD NEWPORT, Instructor in Coffee Culture. 
ToppING AND SUCKERING. 
The necessity for topping has, perhaps, come home to growers in this 
country least of any of the works in connection with the cultivation of coffee. 
To those starting the cultivation of a commodity they have little or no experi- 
ence of, such a matter is not likely to occur, and in the cultivation of fruit, into 
which category coffee must naturally fall, though the necessity of pruning may 
be thought of, topping down is contrary to the general run of the fruit-grower’s 
epitome of field works. 
Topping has, nevertheless, been found, from the time coffee has been taken 
up as a cultural industry and extensively grown, a very necessary and advisable 
operation. 
Technically, it may be recognised better, perhaps, under the term of “ head- 
ing down” of the English gardener, but in coffee culture ‘“‘ topping” is the term 
in general use for this operation of cutting off the head or main stem of the 
coffee shrub when it has attained a certain or desired height. 
The tendency to allow the coffee-tree to grow as it pleases, and to any 
height, is a natural one; but when numbers of them come to be worked, some 
order and regularity must be maintained among them as among human beings, 
if the working is to prove a financial success. 
For this reason we plant in rows at stated intervals (see Article No. 7, 
Queensland Agricultural Journal for April, 1901), and we prune, handle, and 
pick systematically (see Article No. 6, Queensland Agricultural Journal for 
March, 1901), and we also top our coffee-trees. 
The effect of not topping coffee is to entirely disorganise the work of the 
estate. It is not in mere looks that this is apparent, but in regularity of crop- 
ping. An untopped tree grows thin and tall, and thereby allows the weeds to 
grow between the trees; it blossoms at all and any season, and irregularly— 
i.e., some seasons heavily and some seasons scarcely at all. It enhances the cost 
of picking by this as well as by bearing the major portion of its crop out of 
reach ; it bears a poor and small berry, and ripens its crop spasmodically ; and 
also, as the tree gets taller, it kills off the lower or middle primaries—a special 
failing in Queensland—and so not only really reduces the crop-bearing area, 
but exposes the estate to serious damage in windy, not to mention cyclonic, 
seasons. 
The objects of topping are, therefore, it will be seen, to restrict the height 
of the plants within limits for picking (see Article No. 6, Queensland 
Agricultural Journal, March, 1901), to enable the pruning, &c., to be more 
readily and regularly done, and thereby to increase not only the quantity of 
crop, but the size and quality of it; for protection in exposed situations; for 
the creation of lateral growth and the covering of the ground to the saving of 
weeding and prevention of undue atmospheric evaporation of moisture from the 
surface of the soil; and for the encouragement of strong, sturdy, thick-stemmed 
and hardy trees. Nor need the grower be afraid that by topping he will lose 
growth or restrict the bearing area of his coffee-trees, for a good tree in a fair 
soil will not be restricted, and, if prevented from growing tall, will grow broad, 
and he will gain more thereby than ever he lost by preventing its skyward 
growth. 
Height to Top.—With regard to the methods of carrying out this work 
as well as the height at which it should be put into effect, there is a great 
diversity of opinion. The height at which to top the trees is, however, the first 
point to be considered. ‘This depends upon several matters, such as protective 
situation of the estate from wind and weather generally, quality of soil, distance 
apart of the trees, and to some little extent to the fancy and experience of the 
grower. 
