The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-10-02

tricts OF Chiapas. Michoaean, and
Oaxaca.
When the plot of ground has been
stal1ed out. Immediately after, it is neces-
sarv TO hole" the land. except where
the virgin soil is rich and friable. but
generally this work IS done in the
month of April or May. The pits
are dug by means of spade bars, aiming
always 10 keep the original distance
OF the stakes in . straight line. The
size OF the pits varies according TO
the nature of the soil. If the ground
is rich and loose. II and u cubic inches
is sufficient but if it is hard and poor.
the pits should be IS inches square by
, feet deep. Care should be taken
that there are no stones or roots OF
trees at the bottom of the pits; other
wise. the coffee root viii not be able
TO penetrate the soil perpendicularly,
and the plant will, in consequence,
wither. The earth dug out should be
placed below the hole in different
heaps, if the land be hiliy, and the
holes must be left open for a few
weeks so as to allow the air to get into
the subsoil and act on the dormant
constituents.
The Young trees having Two or three
lateral branches, should be planted, If
possible, at the commencement of the
rainy season, in the months of June
ana july. DTefeTa GiV on a dull cloudy
day, when the ground is moist from
recent rains; but it should not be too
wet, else the tender horizontal roots
NAV become clCggeu ana twisted III the
mud, which is always bad for the plant
and must avoided.
In removing the plants from the nur-
series, care must be taken not to injure
the roots; and they should to taken out
by a spade or Goa, together with the
earth surrounding them, according to
the pilOn system. Then they are care
fully conveyed in boxes, wheelbarrows,
or in large baskets, the bottoms OF
which are covered with moist earth,
to the pit, which should, one or two
days previously, have been prepared
with selected and fortified earth. The
la 0Orer who has charge Of the plant
ing must open the hole sufficiently to
place the coffee tree and its accom-
then press the soil down firmly with the
hands or spade, so as not to leave
any hoIlows around the plant. If, In
taking out the young plants from the
nursery, the taprOot and fibrous roots
stick out too far, they should be short
ened, so that they may not be doubled
up in the planting. The plants should
be set higher than the surrounding
earth; the object of this is to allow for
the subsistence which will occur after
wards, and on steep slope, the outer
edge may be slightly higher than the
inner, to check the effect of any wash
that may take place. The ground
should be watered in the afternoon of
III IF fYoY 10 MT n
weather comes on suddenly after that,
the seedlings ought to be irrigated at
least once a day, until they become
we'll rooted. Even when the young
plants are rooted. they require careful
nursing until they throw out several
pairs of branches.
The young plant should be protected
from both the wind and the strong
rays of the sun. The local surround
ings should determine the amount of
shelter required, but generally in places
too much exposed, stalking and low
topping ought to suffice in order to
secure the stability of the plant. The
coffee trees, while young, need some
shade, except in very sheltered and
damp places.
Trees planted on lands having plenty
of rains during the year and on those
whose temperature is between SO deg.
and y deg. F., require no shade after
one or two years growth, excepting
where the soil has tendency to crack
or dry up and there are no facilities
for irrigation during q prolonged
drought
The amount of shade required must
be according to the exposure descend
ing rate of elevation, and increase OF
temperature. But the conditions to be
borne in mind are that the shade must
not be total but rather moderate; that
the trees which provide the shade, if
the plantation is not in a forest, must
be of quick growth, must preserve their
leaves throughout the winter, must not
produce heavy fruit or any substance
which might affect the quality of the
crop tree itself, and their roots must
not grow literally, but vertically. The
natural trees left on the plot for shade
are Gazette, capulin, jinicuil, chalahuite.
ZapOtes, huemba, guachipil, chanaqui,
jOnate, pagua, Sangre de dragO drag
On's blood, and tepeguaje; but for
artificial shade, aguacate, banana, cas-
tor bean, Nancy, mango, anOna, chiri-
moya, papaw, guamachil, and rubber
are mostly used. When the coffee trees
begin to bear, the shade plants grow
ing among them had better be taken
away altogether, and the shade trees
thinned out or pruned.
ITO be continued