the
first place, this destroys the weeds which take the nourishment away
from the trees; secondly, the ground is rendered more open to receive
the slight showers and dews which moisten it, and to benefit by the
influence of the air; the roots are thus considerably refreshed. The
dew falling on ground which has been recently moved, penetrates at
once into it, and does good to the plant; but if it falls on the
weeds, the first rays of the sun absorb it, and deprive the tree of
this source of refreshment.

The dadap is to be taken care of whilst clearing goes on; it must be
cropped so as to cause it to grow upright, and to throw as much shade
as possible on the coffee without pressing upon it.

In warm fertile ground, where the coffee plant grows rapidly, the
trees should be topped in the third year; but this should be done
sparingly, and as a general measure it is not to be recommended; it
should be resorted to only as a means to prevent the too rapid growth
of the tree, or its running up to a point. Topping and taking off
suckers are both necessary on meagre soils, where the trees run much
to wood; and it prevents the trees being injured in the picking
season, which often occurs without this precaution. The top or middle
stem is broken off at a height of six or seven feet, but care must be
taken not to tear the tree; when the top shoots out again it must be
cropped a second time, and it is seldom necessary to do this more than
twice. The cropping causes the tree to shoot out in breadth, and to
push forth a greater number of sprigs, and good strong ones.

_Picking coffee_.--When the estate becomes productive, it must in the
picking season, just before the work begins, be kept exceedingly clear
of weeds, and be even swept clean with brooms, in order that the
berries which fall off may be gathered up.

The picking should take place under proper superintendence, the trees
be picked row by row, and care taken that each berry is plucked off
separately, and not a heap together, by which the trees are torn and
the first offshoots prevented. In picking high trees, light ladders
should be used, made out of two or three bamboos tied together.

_Customary preparation of the berry in the pulp_.--When the coffee is
picked and brought into the village, it is piled up in a heap in the
open air, and left in that manner for twenty-four hours. Thus heaped
up it gets warm, and this creates a certain fermentation of the juice
which is