Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-01-08
atSCFIIamp.
A COFFEE PLANTATION.

TOf the thousands of our readers who
make daily use of coffee as a beverage,
we presume there are comparatively few
who are acquainted in detail with the his
tory and culture of the berry to which
they are indebted for one of their greatest
Injuries. To those who are not, the fol-
lowing extract from book lately pub
lished by a physician Of South Carolina
who spent three winters in Cuba, will be
read with interest.
"The coifee-tree merits special notice.
Passing from Ethiopia through Persia TO
Arabia, it reached the West Indies through
Europe. Van Horn, in 1890, then 60
vernon of Batavia, having raised it in Java
from seeds procured in Mocha, sent one
plant to Nicholas Witsen, q burgomaster ia
Amsterdam, who placing it in the botani-
cal garden Of that city, other plants were
propagated from its Seeds and were sent
10 the West Indies. In IT'S, coffee plan
tations were first made in Surinam, and
about 1928 by the French in Martinlco,
at which time 1t was also introduced into
Jamaica. When the French were driven
from st. Domingo, they brought with them
into Cuba the cultivation of this plant, and
estates from that period multiplied rapidly
on that island.
THE tree, if left to nature, at.ains
height of twelve or eighteen feet in the
nurseries, and gives off horizontal branch
es knotted at every joint, which like the
trunk are covered with grey bark The
blossoms look like the white jasmine, and
form thick, circular clusters around the
branches; they appear from December TO
June, and last only two or three days. The
berries at first are green, but as they in
crease in size and ripen become white,
then yellow, and finally bright red, closely
resembling the cherry in size and appear
ance. The trees are often loaded with
them in closely-wedged circles around
each joint of the branches; have counted
as many as ninety cherries on a single
one, two feet long. Each cherry contains
two berries applied with their fiat sides to-
gether, having a sweet, soft, mucilaginous
pulp between them and the pellicle.
"The nursery is made by cleaning
away the underground Of wood, leaving
the high trees to protect the young plauts
by their shade. The cherries are here
sOwn, and the young plants, when from
one to four years old, are transplanted to
the squares about six feet apart, each
square containing 10000 trees. They
are cut off about two inches from the
ground, from which point new shoot
springs and forms the future tree, that
bears the third year. They are then kept
pruned TO the height Of five feet, and are
yearly trimmed Of all ;heir dead branches.
Amid the shrubs, rows Of plauiains are
formed eighteen feet apart, and corn free
ly sown wherever the foliage permits the
suns rays to reach the ground so thai
coffee square produces also a crop Of these
two valuable brcadsuils.
"Iho cherries ripen from August tol
december, and are all gathered singly by
The hand; aud as three or four different
crops are often ripening at the same time
on each tree, as many separate plckings
are required. Brought in baskets from
The fields, thoy are daily exposed to the sun
uu the secadcros, but are each night mkcd
together 10 heaps, and covered by tents Of
rice straw to prolec, them from The heavy
ieWs; after three weeks they become
quite dried and are then fl tor tho mi.l.-I
The secudoros often cover urge sar'ace
Of the boiey or yard, on estate of 400. /
600 trees having 20. caehG0 feet long ami
90 feet wide. They ore midc ct stones
l.a'eicd 'moolhly over with cement with