The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-09-10
FEATURES OF COFFEE PLANTING.
The Great Care That is a
Prime Requisite.
The Immense Amount of Labor
Which is Necessary.
Valuable Information About Coffee Cul-
turs as 1t Is Practioed In
Mexico-Interosting
Details.

Inc Following is the second paper on
coffee culture in Mexico, published by
Mr.. Hisey.I
The formation Of q coffee plantation
requires more care than experience. The
various steps to be taken are simple
enough. but every stage OF the work
should be taken at the right time and
IN the right way. This ia business
which cannot be left to the poems. but
must be superintended by the owner
himself or competent overseer.
The Clearing-Almost invariably the
lands best suited for growing coffee are
covered with trees, heavy brush wood
and various forms OF vegetation. A por-
ton OF the trees are generally left for
shade. The smaller trees and brush
wood are cut down by means of mach
etes,' weapons not unlike cntlaesee in
form. After this has been done, the re-
naming trees (such as are not left for
shade) are felled with the axe. After
the forest land has bsen cleared and we'll
worked with picks. etc., it is left to dry
from two to four weeks. The brush wood
ia burned, though great care Is taken
not to injure the trees left for shade.
The clearing takes place in March and
April. This costs from SIS to SO per acre,
according to the work required and the
industry of the laborer.
Nurseries-Ar the time the clearing
OF the land is commenced suitable
spot should be selected for sowing the
coffee bean, in order to establish nurs-
cry to be made use of the following
year. The trees needed for the fret
planting are purchased from coffee
plantations already established. The
ground selected for the nursery should
be easily irrigated aud the soil of avsr-
age fertility, but not sloppy, The ground
is only partially cleared, the slender
high trees being left to afford abundant
shade Tor the nursery. Long ridges are
formed with a width of from A to = feet,
with walks between, in order that later
on the workmen can reach the plante,
when 1t 10 necessary to clean them. In
forming the ridges the earth should be
we'll broken to a depth of at least IA
inches. The beans should be selected
from young and healthy trees. They
are diapulped and thrown into recep.
tacle OF water and left from 20 to %
hours or until the gum on them is loos-
ened. Those that float are discarded,
the remaining seeds when dry are ready
for planting. Small furrows are made
in the earth with pointed staff across
the ridges at a distance of inches
apart and inch deep. The beans are
placed in the burrows about inches
apart and then covered with well sifted
earth and kept well watered. The
ridges must be kept free from weeds and
when the plants reach height OF from
4 to inches, it ia necessary to trans
plant az many OF them as will leave the
remainder from 10 to IL inches apart.
then ready f55ff manipulating, as by that
time they have two or more "csuces"
Tor crossee) or sets of little branches.
Shade is another important requisite,
for the tree requires shade up to the
altitude of from 5000 to 5000 feet above
the sea level. Mettattoyncer is about
1900 feet above sea level. At Cordoba,
Polspa and other districts in the state OF
Vera Cruz the banana tree is the favor
tie one for shade, but 1t is a tree that
rapidly exhausts the soil. 1t is selected
mainly for its valuable fruit, which on
the Interocesnic railroad readily sells
for 500 per % pounds. Besidss the
banana, the orange, the aquacate, wal
nut, fig, rubber and great variety Of
! Others are found in the states OF Pueblo
and Vera Cruz, al shade for the coffee
tree. They all yield more or less valua
BILE fruit, and are thus desirable on theii
own account, apart from their services
as shade.
The rule is, whom clearing wood lands
for coffee, the most suitable trees fo
shade trees are left standing. Theil
| foliage should neither be too thin mol
too dense. In other words, the plant
while it should be largely protected
from the scorching rays of the sun, l
must not bs unduly deprived of sun snt
air.
TRANsPLANTINa.
The plants are in fit state for trans
planting when they have from one T.
three branches, and should be taken GU
of the nursery by means of the machete
together with the earth that surround
them, and carefully conveyed to tn
ground prepared for them. When tn
tree ia planted, care is taken that tn
tap root is perpendicular. The earth
pressed down by means of the hands, o
that no cavities are left around tn
plants. The planting is best done b
day work rather than by contract, i
order that the earth lie pressed aroun
with care, as on this depends wheshe
the trees take good foothold in the SO
or not. The rainy season is inyariabl
selected for transplsuting. From Jun
till the middle of October Tin the stat
of Puebls, June, July and September
are the best months-August being 10
hot, and not having sufficient rain. In
, plants must be kept clean OF weeds. On
isborer can clean from $50 to 200 plants
a day. The decayed vegetable matter
afterwards used ga a fertilizer. IN
pruning Is another important part OF To
work. But / will leave the coffee sub
ject now by saying that Mexico is indee
one of the finest coffee countries on II
globe, especially our part OF it,. Try
: we are almost isolated from the worl
because there are no railroads runnlr
: through it. But with such presidel
as this republic has, these dithculti
: will soon be overcome. American ira
elers, who are simply pleasure seeker
seldom see this part OF the country. D
D cause they do not 60 where there are
: rsilroadsr but coffee growers who
: we'll acquainted with the lands In bra2
: and Ceylon, say they cannot compe
!. with this country, because this soil W
yield more coffee to the acre than bra
; can in two acres.
: In some future chapter will give y
5 a description OF variety OF tropit
) fruit and trees Chat are fine and beau'
. ful, that we are not familiar with
. in California. am asked 30 often
Q CORES condenta if "life and propert.
axa m 60 hora and what ia the feeling