Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1868-04-04
From "A Journey in Brazil" By Agassil J
Coffee e-HOW il Is GFOWn ana GatAsrd.

The hext DAY was that OF our depart
urs. Before leaving. we rode With
Mr.. Lage through the plantation, that
we might understand the process Of
coffee culture in this country. | aD
not sure that, 10 giving an account Of
this model fraEendS, we give a Just idea
Of fruIeudaS 10 general lis owner car
ries the same large and COmprshenSive
spirit, he same energy and force Ofwill
into all bis undertakings, and haH in-
trOduced extensive reforms on MS plan,
tations, Tho Fazenda de FOrtaleza de
Santa Anna lies at the foot OfIhe Sierra
de BabylOuia. The house itself, IS /
have already said. makes . part sf a
Succession Of low white buildings, in-
closing an ObloUg square divided iusc
neat lots, destined for the drying Of
coffee
This drying Of the coffee in the i'm
mediate vicinity Of the house. though il
ssems very general custom, must be
an uncomfortable one fsr the drying
lots are laid down in a dsEEing while
cement, from the glare Of which, in this
bot climate, the eye turns YEARLY away.
longing for a green spot on which to
rest. Just behind the house, on the
slope Of the hill, is The orangery. |
am never tired Of these golden orchards,
and this was one Of special beauty
The small, deep colured tanSerireS,
sometimes twenty or thirty 10 Que clus'
ter the large, choice orange, "Laranj'
selecta," as ii is called, often 10 or II
together in single bunch, and bearing
the branches to the ground with their
weight the paier, "LimaO doce,' or
sweet lemon. rather insipid, but esteem
ed here for its cool. refreshing proper
tieI-all these, with many others-for
the variety of oranges is far greater
than We Of the temperate zane conceive
it to be-make mass Of coloT, 10 which
gold, deep orange and pale yellow are
blended wonderfully with the back
ground Of green.
Beyond the house incloSure, on the
opposite side Of the road, are the gar
denS, with avsry. and G,h ponds in the
cente'. With these exceptions, all ol
the property which is not forest is de.
voted to coffee, covering all tho hill
sides for miles around. The seed is
planted 10 nurseries especially prepared,
where it uudergceS its first years
growth. 1t is then t.Snsplated to iIt
permanent home, and begins Is bear in
about thrOe years, the fr't crop being,
Of course, q very light one. From that
time lorward. under good care, and with
favorable soil, it will continue to bear,
and evrn to yield two crops or more
annually, for thirty years in succession
At that time the shrubs and the soil arc
alike exhausted, and according to the
custom Of the country, the fezendelrt
cuts down a new forest aud begins d
new plantation, completely abandoning
his old one, without a thought Of re-
deemiug or fertiliziDg tue exhausted
land.
One Of the loug.sghted reforms un'
dertokea BY cur host is tue manurlnt
of al the deserted plan atoms on biz
estate, and he has already number o.
vigorous young plantations which prom
ise to be as good as if virgin tor's
had beeu sacrificed TO produce tben,-
He wishes not only to preserve th'
wood on bis own estate, aud to show
that agriculture need not be cultivated
pt the expense Of taste and beauty, bu
TO remind bis ,uEtry people also that
extcnslvo aS the forests, they Will no'
last forever. and that it will be neces
sary to immigratc before long to hnC
new cvtfes grounds, if the old ones ar'
to be considered worthless. Another
Of his reform, is that Of the roads al
ready alluded to. The ordinary road
|iu the coffee plantations like the mule
track, all over the country, are carrle'
strAigb. up the sides of the hills be-
Tween the liues Of the shrubs quilted o.
.yery rain, and Offering besides 81
.t.sD an ascent that even with eight o.
ten oxen it is often quite impossible tt
drive the clumsy, old fashioned carts u
the slope, and the negroes are OO,'ge'
to bring great part OF the harvest dO"'
on their beads
An American, who has been gOO'
dssl on the coffee taESudas in tb's re
zion told me that be had seen negrOe
bringing enormous burdens Of this sin'
On their heais down almost vtrtlsa
sloUes. On Senor Lagos 'ce ell the''
old roads are abandoned except WneF, e.,
they are planted here and there VIII ~
sIlev, Of orange trees for the US
Of the negroes, and be has substituted
Tor them Winding roads in the SIDE
the LiIl, with a very gradual ascent st ),
that lisht carts dragged by q 'lOgl
mulo can transport all the h'rVests
tbo plantation from the summit Of "
DIsusatisn to the drying ground !,
was The harve ting seas M and a., 10
spectaCIc was q pretty one Inc no
OroeV. men aud women, we're scattere
sbOut the plantations with broad sOa
low trays. made Of plated grass or BAN
hoo strapped over their shoulders = aO'
supported at their waist ; into sNs'
,bsy we're gathering the coffee, som
already beginning TO dry and sur
hrown' while here aud there was
Green one not yet quite ripe but 500 ',
aNe