The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-08-25

good common sense, coupled with pow
ers of observation and above all. pa
thence and perseverance will do more
towards attaining success than all the
study in the world. With this di-
gression | Will now return to the sub
ject of this article.
The object of pruning may be
! summed up as follows: To reduce the
tree to convenient limits in order to
facilitate the operation OF picking or
/ harvesting. To encourage the tree To
divert its energies in producing berry.
! in such manner as TO obtain regular
and uniform crops: and last but not
/ least, TO prevent loss of vitality and
consequent exhaustion by overbearing
Handling is resorted to from time
to time, with the object OF suppressing
all superhuous growth, which makes
its appearance after topping and prun-
ing. Both these works should be car
ried out regularly and systematically
every year, even at the sacrifice of
wedding if labor is scarce, for the latter
can be deferred, whereas the former
must be performed at the proper time
or neglected entirely.
The first work which demands the
attention of the coffee planter is that
of topping" The height at which
trees should be topped, and the time
when they are ready for the operation,
is matter of considerable controversy
among planters. In Ceylon, it was
the custom to top at from three feet
six inches to four feet, though in some
cases, trees were allowed to attain a
height of four feet six inches, while
in others, they were topped as low as
three feet, due to an exposure to wind.
In Olaa, high topping seems to be in
favor, many of the plantations adopt
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-
per1mental 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 a 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 cli-
mate, rainfall, ETC., as affecting the de-
velopment of the trees and their pro-
ductiveness, and especially in the dig
tance apart at which they are planted.
In wet districts, such as Olaa for in
stance, where the trees make a rapid
and luxuriant growth, and have a ten
dency to put forth an abundance OF
wood, l should advocate low topping
with numerous landings, in order to
produce stock tree and divert it's en-
ergies to forming berry. In Kona,
where the condIUlons are entirely diff
ferent, high topping might perhaps be
resorted to with success, but I should
certainly place the limit at five feet.
The result of allowing trees to grow
to height of six or seven feet, and
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 a 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 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 field of coffee of 30 acres, planted
at exc 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 it's age, is the finest field of
coffee in the district, and reflects
greatest credit on Messrs Ross and
Goudie for the manner in which it
was planted, and the efficient state in
which it is maintained. / 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.
1t 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 500 and 700 IT. 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 a given number
of primaries, for the production of new