The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-10-06

illS VI Inc DIuSA Ou me SIOuuu IL Inc
preparation of the future plantation
especially in rich virgin lands, destroys
many seed that would otherwise pro
duce weeds and all sorts of vermin and
insects. Yet, where possible, it is bet
ter not to burn the brush, but to pack
it in lines between the young plants
The land having been cleared, the
next thing is to line it out and then
SOW in corn so as to harvest il before
June or July.
METHODS OF PLANTING.
N Mexico, as most OF the coffee lands
are hilly, area and confguration exer-
eise a great influence on the distribu-
tlon OF the plants; hence lining. or
marking and distance, must be re-
gulated by the topography of the plor.
Inc arrangement that has been adopt-
ed by the greater part of the planters
IN this country is that of dividing the
lahd into blocks, generally 100 meters
each way CS2S feet square or 2.47 acres)
winch are separated by roads 4 meters
Cl3.I3 feet) in width In marking the
plot, care should be taken to get the
| llnes symmetrical, for badly lined
Plantation causes much trouble in cuI-
ovation and harvesting. A good wav
to line out the land is to get two ar
tnree laDorers to make stake line
called maestro" (the main line)
throughout the distance intended 10
De planted. endeavoring to make it as
straight as possible. For this purpose
Two straight sticks are cut according
TO the length of the distance desired
between each tree; with these sticks
the spaces are measured out along the
ground. Then a laborer follows. pJa-
eng the sticks straight into the ground
until the main line is completed From
thls line the other lines are staked ont
the places where the coffee trees have
70 De planted being thus indicated.
The distance at which coffee trees
should be planted will vary according
to the soil and the lay of the land
On very fertile soil, where there is an
abundance of nutritive elements. the
distance adopted ought never to be
iess than that which is required for
the lateral development of the plant
in that case the distance should not
be less than 10 feet e 1-2O meters)
either way, which should give 435 to
4oO trees to the acre. On poor soili
and also on steep hillsides, shorter
distances may be used, but the trees
snould never be closer than Z by 71a
feet, which would give a little owe.
800 trees TO the acre. For an average
soil, with little or no exposure. 68l
trees, 8 by feet distant, would be
fair number.
Along the Mexican and Agricola rail
ways, in the districts Of Orizaba and
Cordoba, Veracruz, the trees are some
times SO oVercrowded as to injure each |
other and diminish the crops. It is .
to imagine that the greater
the number of trees on a given piece
of land the greater will be the return |
IN crops. The atmosphere, sun, and |
rain have great deal to do with plant |
growth; and in order that these i'm |
portant agencies may work properly, |
there must be sufficient space around |
tree for the air to circulate freely
and for the sunlight to enter. Crowd
ing OF plants prevents this and does
much harm in other ways. The roots
lntertwine and rob one another of the
available plant food, which should now
exist IN the soil in a soluble condition.
This plant food is distracted from the
land in order to build up the many
wood stems and sterile branches of the
trees, whereas if the plants
were put at proper distances, the food
N the soil would be taken up to pro-
luce not number of useless stems
out a quantity of fruitful branches on
Well-formed trees. Thus it happens
hat large crops are obtained from few
er trees, as may be seen in some dis
.ricts OF Chiapas, Michoacan, and
)axaca.
When the plot of ground has been
'taked out, imediately after, it is neces-
;ary to hole the land, except where
he virgin soil is rich and friable bur {
this work is done in the
month of April or May. The pits
ire dug by means of spade bars, aiming
always to keep the original distance
u the stakes in straight line. The
iize OF the pits varies according to
he nature of the SOIL If the ground
rich and loose, II and II cubic inches
S sufficient, but if it is hard and poor.
he pits should be IS inches square by
feet deep. Care should be taken
hat there are no stones or roots of
rees at the bottom of the pits; other
wise, the coffee root viii not be able
o penetrate the soil perpendicularly.
md the plant viii, in consequence.
7ither. The earth dug out should be
'laeed below the hole in different
Ieaps, if the land be hillv. and the