Cultivation of the Coffee Plant [pp. 323-329]

328 CULTIVATIONZ OF THE COFFEE PLANT.
distance of from three to three and a upward, and induce it to spread its
half varas apart, from centre to centre. branches horizontally. This treatment
But there is a diversity of opinion as to may be advisable after the plant has acwhat is the best and most profitable quired three or four years' age from the
method of planting. One method is, to seed, as it keeps the trees at a height
place the young plants in positions at convenient forgatheringthecrop. Some
about from two to two and a half va- persons nip off the leading shoots when
ras apart, up to the age of four, five, or the seedling is only nine or twelve
even six years from seed; when the months old, but this plan is not generaltrees begin to spread their branches ly approved. The period for nipping off
laterally, beyond the space of two or two the leading centre shoots, and those of
and a half varas allotted to them, one the principal lateral branches, depends
plant out of every three is to be remov- upon the different circumstances of the
ed in the order indicated in the follow- shrub in different situations. As a gening diagram, the dots representing the eral rule, no doubt, advantages are detrees that are left standing, and the rived from nipping off the leaders at the
asterisks the places previously occupied proper season, though some authorities
by those that have been taken out: disapprove of such a course of training.
*.. X..,.. *.. f Pruning the coffee plant should be very
carefully attended to; too much fruit. X. * X.. X * * X * *.
bearing wood should be thinned, and
superfluous branches removed. Want
X*' ~* X *' * *' * * Xof proper attention, at the proper time,
The plants that are removed are trans- is one of the causes why the tree proplanted into fresh ground. Thus the duces a superabundant crop one year,
trees are not lost, and the plantation is, and becomes so much exhausted as not
at the same time, increased. Another to bear half a crop the succeeding year.
plan recommended, and indeed adopted, Trees of from eight to ten years of age
by the Messieurs de Teil, in Guatema- require much pruning, in order that sunla, is to place the plants in their perma- light and air may be freely admitted
nent positions at only one and a half or among their branches.
two varas apart, it being contended that The productiveness of a plantation is,
a larger quantity of coffee is thus ob- of course, dependent upon the quality
tained from a given measure of land, of the soil, and the more or less proper
although there is less product per plant. treatment of the trees. In Costa Rica
It is also asserted that this is an eco- the average may be generally stated to
nomical system, much labor and expense be, on fine virgin' soil, forty quintals;
being saved in the operations of trans- good average, twenty quintals; bad, ten
planting, weeding, and harvesting. In quintals, the mzanzana. In Guatemala,
this case of close planting, much care the plantations being generally younger
and judgment are necessary in perform- than those in Costa Rica, and nearly all
ing the annual pruning. This plan is, virgin soil, the average production is
however, disapproved of by many coffee somewhat larger.
planters, and there can be no doubt that Respecting the progressive productthe coffee plant, to produce abundantly iveness of a plantation from the time it
and mature and ripen its fruit fully, re- commences to bear: should all things
quires plenty of sun and air. Some proceed favorably, at the end of the
planters nip off the central leading shoot, fourth year from the sowing of the seed
so as to check the plant's rapid growth it may have produced from one to one
[OCT.