The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-08-28

ing six feet as their standard, and IN
some instances, even as high as seven
feet has been maintained.
Now the question which naturally
presents itself: What is the extreme
limit that should be allowed to produce
the best results?
Coffee planting being yet in an eX-
perimental stage so to speak no results
of any importance having so far been
produced from the numerous planta-
tions under various modes of treat
ment. the question is rather difficult
one to answer. Experience in other
countries however, has clearly demon
strated what are the results from low
and high topping. Still, / am of the
opinion, that the matter is not one
of mere fancy or experiment, but should
be decided by the circumstances of each
particular case, with regard to the eli
mate, rainfall, etc, as affecting the de-
Velopment of the trees and their pro-
ductiveness, and especially in the dis
tance apart at which they are planted.
In wet districts, such as Olaa for in
stance, where the trees make rapid
and luXuriant growth, and have ten
dency to put forth an abundance of
wood, / should advocate low topping
with numerous landings, in order to
produce a stock tree and divert its en-
ergies to forming berry. In Kona,
where the condluons are entirely diff
ferent, high topping might perhaps be
resorted to with success, but ] should
certainly place the limit at five feet.
The result of allowing trees to grow
-, x,Fr r-Sx nd
then topping, almost invariably pro-
duces a tree with a slender stem
towards the extremity, with long
whippy primaries on top. This is
forcibly illustrated in patch of coffee,
planted by Vim. Sumter, in the woods
above Hilo on the Volcano Road, where
the trees appear to have been topped
at heights averaging from six to eight
feet. Any one visiting this patch,
taking particular notice of the form
of the trees and the style of the pri-
maries, can form a very good opinion
for himself of the merits of high top
ping.
Turn from this picture to that pro-
duced by the coffee of the Messrs.
GOudie Bros. on the Catholic Mission
lands in Puma, planted by Roderic
Ross, and what is the result? Here
is a field of coffee of 80 acres, planted
at 6X6 feet apart and topped at four
feet, which for uniformity in appear
ance, healthy and stock growth of the
trees, with vigorous primaries set close
together, ] have no hesitation in say
ing, for its age, is the finest field of
coffee in the district, and reflects
greatest credit on Messrs Ross and
Goudie for the manner in which il
was planted and the efficient state in
which If is maintained l understand
the latter gentleman to state it was not
two years old, and yet at the time of
my visit the trees showed a crop well
advanced towards maturity, which
estimated at from 1900 to 1000 lbs.
IL would not surprise me TO hear that
next years crop will average one pound
TO the tree. The elevation of the plan
tation is between 600 and 700 ft. above
sea level, and the formation of the soil
is ''aa-aa," very similar to the lands
in KOna.
The whole argument of low and high
topping resolves itself to this. To
maintain a tree with given number
of primaries, for the production of new
wood situated at a convenient distance
from the surface of the ground to facil-
itate picking operations; and to bear
regular and uniform crops, without
over taxing the energies of the tree.
Is this result to be produced by trees
planted at 6x6 fit. apart, 1910 to one
acre and topped at 4 fit. or in those
set out at SxS ft. apart, $50 to one acre,
topped at or z it? Will the latter
method produce more crop per acre
than the former? Until this point has
been settled by actual experiment in
Hawaii, the subject of topping, like
that of the distance apart at which
trees should be planted, will remain
a debated question, and must be left
to the intelligence and comon sense
of each individual planter.
TINE OF TOPPING.
We now come to the proper time
and manner in which the operation
should be performed l have heard
it stated by some planters that a tree
should not be topped until it has grown
considerably above the height required,
in order to allow time for the formation
of the bark For my part, l cannot
see the force of such an argument
If one were to wait for the formation
of bark on the wood which has to be
removed by pruning and handling,
these operations could not be per-
formed at all. What applies in one
case will not certainly do so in the
other. The proper time therefore
to perform the operation, is when the
tree has arrived at the desired height,
or say six inches above, when it can
be easily accomplished with the knife,
or shipped with the shears. The idea
of leaving on two or three feet of un-
necessary wood, is not only a loss
of time, but subjects the tree to a con-
siderable waste of energy, in producing
and maintaining a mass of useless
branches which eventually must be re-
moved.
Topping is performed in TWO ways.
either by cutting the top and one pri-
mary, or by the removal of the top and
two primaries Immediately above the
height selected, thus leaving about six
inches of stem terminating in the form
of a cross. In either case, the object of
cutting the primaries is to prevent the
subsequent splitting OF the trees. The