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Show M HUGS THE EQUATOR." - Strip Upon Which th Starry Whit CoffM Flower Bloomt. It Is only on tbo world's waistband that tbo starry wblto coffee flower blooms. Only between the fifteenth degrees, de-grees, north and south of the equator, .can tho tree be successfully grown and on thoso altitudes which aro between tho 3,000 to 0,000 feet mark. Left by Itself the plant will grow to a tree twcnty-Ove.fect In altitude; but, a man is not usually over two yardsticks high, tho bearing shrubs are kept by pruning prun-ing under a maximum height of ten feet, so that they can bo easily handled. han-dled. Tbo seeds are thickly sown In the nursery, but as soon as babyhood has passed and tho tender sprouts are able to bear a breath of wind or changes of temperature tbey are transplanted into orchards. They nro set pretty far apart so that while young and not yet bearing tho soil may be utlllied with parallel rows of corn, bananas or plantain. plan-tain. A thrifty shrub grows berries when three years old and continues to bear during twenty years rrom three to six pounds of beans. Its glossy green loaves remind one of tho laurel, and tho fragrant, white. Ave pctnlcd flowers the perfume varying In different dif-ferent countries nnd localities grow In clusters of from three to ten each In tut! axils of the brunches. Weil regulated regu-lated streams of wnter run through the orchard to secure lusty growth, but when the berries begin to rlpeu tho water Is turned off lest tho fruit be too succulent. The twin beans or nutlets ripen within a mass of pulp that looks like a dark red cherry, or In tint ami size rather like a cranberry. This pulp, when perfectly ripe, is delicious to the taste, but when dried It Is taken off cither by hand or, ns Is usually the case In present day operations In lira zll, by most modern machinery. St. Louis Republic. |