The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1879-12-12


allan coffee industry in >.r,bHe,'s i
Monthly. ~ take this description oI
| the iicl.l.work, written from personal
observation hy Hrrher. N. smith:
l In Southern Brazil 4 cnfEre.iicld nj.
dom lasts more than thirty years. The
| plantations are made on tho fertile hull.
sides, where the torcxt has been grow.
ing thick an | strung. lint the snll
here is never deep slx or eight inches
vi mold at the utmost, In the trop.es
there are no long winters, with mats al
dead vegetable matter ro,tlng under the
snow. Tho leaves fall sinply. and dry
up until thcy break into dust: logs and
decay ing branches In the shady woods
arr carried away hy white ants and
beetles. hence tho mold bed increases
very sl,wly; In TWENTY-FIVE or thirty
years the strong.growing coilcc-trocs
rat il NIL up. Most planters simply cut
down tho forest anil leave tho trees Ii
Try Ia tho snn for six or eight weeks,
when they arc burned. s.. more
| rroviaent, let's the logs rot where they
lie, which they do ia 4 year or two; Ia
tle open sunlight they arc saved mon,
insects. and the ground receives a large
accession To its strength.
Hack III The house there nrc two yards
or small iic'ds, fonr arres. perhaps. to.
gettcr, The ground ii covered with
earthen pots set close together. only
leaving little pathways at intervals.
Each of the 100000 pots contains Il
thriving young coiicc.plant, The ground
forms gcntle slope. and water il con
stantly running over il. NO that II IL al
ways ,oakcl. The pots. through oriticcs
at tho hnttoms. draw up enough ri this
water 10 keep the roots moistcnetl. The
young plants arc protected from the
SIM hy mat scrcens. stretched on poles
above the ground.
This il a costly system. Most al the
planters take root shoots III random
from the old fields and vet them Ut
once into the nnpreMrea ground. Sr.
s. \ experiment lMs cost him prob.
ably s.Otl,M, tho pots alone cost Al .Otlo.
Hut he will make at least &5O, 600 by the
operation. In tho iiisl place. hc enins
good Year Ia the start TINT hc gives IL
those young plants. Then they are not
put back in the tansplnniing: tho pots
nre simply inverted and tho roots come
out with the earth. They arc sct into
mold or comlnAt which has hrcn pre-
pared IN deep holes. Tho tender root.
letS catch hold of this ut once and IN /.
day Or two the plant IL growing ~ well
IN over.
The nnrslinRs come from selected
seeds II half dozen varieties. Sr.
g. has them planted al ii,st in small
pots. 4 dozen slaves arc engaged trans.
planting tho Six.inch hig shoots 10 larger
pots. Little tirei-looking children ear.
~ them about On their shoulders, work.
ing on ~ steadily ~ tho old ones, for
| they arr well trained. Sr. s. wants
10 make his plants last MY years. NJ he
In careful aud tender with them. The
little blacks will bc free in issla, 40 hir
policy il to get An much work ~ possi-
bio from them while he can.
Tho planis nre sct In rows, about ten
foct apart. They grow, and thrive, and
arr happy out on tho hill sidc. Warm sun.
shine earesses tho leaves; the ground
IL kept FREQ from intrn,lng weeds and
bnshcs. and the planter wMits for his
harvest. After four years. the trees are
six feet high and begin 10 hear. lsy the
sixth Year, tho crops Arc very large
three or even four pounds per trcc al
times, Meanwhile. corn and mMniioMl
Aro planted between thc rows. Often
In Il new plantation tho expenses nrt
nearly covered by these subsidiary cropx
In this month oi November only 4
few ~ tho slaves arc In thu new tI.lds
November - tho principal gathering
month, and almost tho whole force musI
b. ~ work In the bearing orchards
From sunrise to sunset, men. women
and children are gathering the hcrric,
IN baskets, working silently and st"alil,
under tho nvcr~ccls eye. Every day
cach slave gathers ON the average her
rics enough To produce ilfty pounds o
coffee. Tho rickinps arc collected |,
carts and brought 10 tho mill.ho,,sc
where tho seeds must bo prepared fo
thu market