The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-01-25

That this leggy habit of growth is

That this leggy habit of growth is
by no means its strictly natural one,
and such as it assumes in positions
of full exposure and with room for
free expansion, is fully proven by
specimens in the Gardens, some Of
which were planted Subsequently to
1875 uuder very slight (moveable)
shade at the beginning and then left
to full exposure.
Under such treatment the habit is
perfectly pyramidal on a height of 5
feet being reached-the extremitles
of the lower branches touching the
ground although occurring on the
stem over one foot above the base.
Fine examples Of this habit of
growth are to be seen In different
parts of the Island specially at the
Horrible DIR. MitckelPs,. Melville
Lodge, and the Hon'ble A. P. Mar
ryat's Marabella.
Besides the fine pyramidal form
assumed under full exposure, the
| form and texture Of the leaf is greatly
improved, in the sense Of advantage
| to the cultivator. Altogether smaller
more erect, and of sturdler texture,
they give the tree an aspect 70 sug-
gest it's perfect adaptability to open
field culture. The JOINTS are shorter
the branches sturdier, and the tree is
altogether more compact and calcu-
lated to yield far larger crop on a
given area, than when grown in.
shade.
In "free" hillside soil, or stiff
one either hillside or lew fiat opened
up oy proper ~ e CONDITIONS
which OccLs ~ Il s l'gscs7s -
anything like a general or uniform
shade-even when afforded by trees
of thinnest foliage-would evidently
be mistake. The plants being put
| in some time between May and Sep
TENDER single bit of Palm leaf to
prevent the plant from "blistering"
at starting is all that is required-and
scarcely that in cloudy weather. At
the same time certain amount of
tree growth other than that of the
Coffee and of course mixed with it
either in scattered form or in regu.
lated belts of unkempt tree growth
and always be necessary, not so much
for shade as for maintaining as largely
as possible those conditions which are
found in "recently cleared land in the
forest" and which are so we'll known
to be highly favorable to Coffee of
all kinds, as we'll as economic trees
generally. Such shade and humus
yielding trees should be judiciously
selected and properly prepared for,
as one of the elements of vital inn
portance in culture of this Coffee on
large scale, and tor an extended
period. In very good or rich low
land no shade appears necessary or
even desirable.
The distance from plant to plant
on fiat land should be from 10 to 16
feet according to character of soil,
and on which the future size OF the
Coffee tree will depend-more large.
" than on any other influence, On
hillsides sometimes the distance
might probably be less than 10 feet
the incline giving an increase in
"head.room.a
AS an intercrop and such as will
ahoro a genial and necessary start
ln~ shade, plantains might be ems
ployed land proftably)-planted in
a manner to evenly alternate with
the Liberian Coffee plants and all
lowed to bear one crop. No ration.
| ing should be allowed but where
shade for a second year proves nee
essary, the plantains should be reset
regularly and singly as before.
AS to permanent shade, or rather
renovation trees, they should occur
only SO as to give lateral or pal-
tial shade of about one.torth of the
area dealt with. Trees OF erect hab-
it are to be preferred to those of spread.
ing habit-a good example Of the
former is the pois dOux or Z'ago la
swina. tree admirably adapted for line
or belt planting.
In clearing forest or land with
large tree growth the requisite