No presente trabalho são apresentados os dados de produção de cafeeiros plantados a quatro mudas por cova, variando, contudo, a maneira de sua distribuição dentro da cova. Um dos tratamentos corresponde ao sistema comum de plantio, no qual as mudas são dispostas em quadrado, na cova. O outro refere-se à disposição das quatro mudas em linha na cova. Visava-se, plantando as mudas desta última forma, facilitar o combate à broca do café pela retirada dos grãos que normalmente caem e ficam presos no centro dos quatro troncos formados pelo sistema comum. Os resultados obtidos, correspondentes ao período de 1951 a 1956, não indicaram diferenças significativas entre as produções dos dois tratamentos. Desta forma, embora o problema do combate à broca do café esteja resolvido com o emprêgo de inseticidas modernos, os resultados dêste ensaio mostram que qualquer um dos sistemas de plantio pode ser adotado no estabelecimento de cafèzais.

Individual trees in coffee plantations established in the state of São Paulo usually result from four seedlings that were placed in a square within the planting hole. When the plants begin to bear, this planting system favors the coffee berry-borer infestation because many fruits fall in between the stems of the four plants and are hard to be collected, thus remaining as a food source for the insect between two successive crops. Placing the seedlings in a straight line within the planting hole was thought as a method that would facilitate the harvest and permit the collection of fruits left behind on the trees or near their trunks. An experiment designed to compare this planting method with the usual one was undertaken at the Central Experiment Station, instituto Agronômico, Campinas. The red Bourbon variety of Coffea arabica was used. the seedlings in line were placed 15 cm apart, and at about 30 cm when in a square. A randomized block design with 20 replications for the two treatments was used, each plot comprising a single hole with four seedlings. Yield records were taken for the years 1951 through 1956 (Table 1). The size of the beans was also studied (Table 2). The total yield in dried fruit for this period was 135.2 kg for the plots with the seedlings in line and 131.6 kg for those with seedlings planted in a square. The difference between the two treatments was not significant. Large differences were observed between years for the same treatment, but the interaction treatments x years was not significant. Today the control of the coffee berry-borer is efficiently carried out by dusting or spraying BHC on the trees; the method of placing the seedlings in a line within the planting hole does not present advantages anymore. The results here discussed indicate, however, that both methods of seedling placement in the planting hole can be used by the farmers without affecting the yield.

Foi continuado o ensaio do desbaste dos ramos inferiores do cafeeiro, instalado na Estação Experimental Central de Campinas, em 1932. O ensaio compreende duas séries : a) desbastada ; b) não desbastada. Cada série se compõe de 5 repetições com 25 cafeeiros cada uma. A variedade em cultivo foi a Coffea arabica L. var. typica Cramer. A série desbastada foi mantida sem os ramos primários até uma altura de 50 cm do solo. Na série não desbastada não se interferiu de modo algum nessa parte da planta. As colheitas foram iniciadas em 1935. A série não desbastada produziu significativamente mais, no período todo examinado, isto é, em dezesseis safras (1935-1950). Não houve grande diferença no tamanho das sementes. A maturação foi um pouco apressada na série desbastada. O ensaio demonstra que não houve vantagem em se fazer esta operação.

The experiment, begun at the Central Experiment Station at Campinas in 1932, on the pruning of the lower branches of coffee plants, has been continued. The trial contains two series, a) pruned and b) not pruned. Each series consists of five replicates, each with 25 coffee plants. The variety is Coffea arabica L. var. typica Cramer. The pruned trees were kept free from primary branches to a height of 50 cm. The unpruned trees were left entirely untouched in this region. Harvesting began in 1935. The unpruned trees have yielded significantly better (P = 5%) over the period of the 16 years of the trial (1935-1950). There was no great difference in size of seeds. Ripening was advanced a little in the pruned trees. The experiment showed that there was no advantage to be gained by pruning ; on the contrary, the operation appears to be prejudicial to the yield.

O ensaio de variedades de cafeeiros foi iniciado na Estação Experimental Central de Campinas, em 1931. A primeira colheita foi realizada em 1935. Em 1939, foi feita a publicação dos resultados referentes ao período 1935-38. Em 1949, nova publicação reuniu os dados do período 1935-46. No presente trabalho vêm relatados os acontecimentos relativos aos anos que decorreram de 1947 a 1950, ano por ano, e feito o exame dos resultados no período todo, desde o início da produção (1935-1950). O ensaio teve prosseguimento normal nos anos de 1947 a 1950. Foram feitas as adubações adequadas, as capinas se realizaram em ordem, as colheitas se processaram regularmente bem. A produção média foi examinada ano por ano, verificando-se que, nesse período, o Bourbon amarelo sempre se colocou no primeiro lugar. Todas as demais variedades tiveram alterações de colocação na competição de produção. No período em exame (1947-1950), a variedade mais produtiva foi o Bourbon amarelo, seguida pelo Bourbon vermelho, Sumatra, Maragogipe, Nacional e Amarelo de Botucatu. Com relação ao amadurecimento dos frutos, a variedade mais precoce foi o Amarelo de Botucatu, seguido pelo Sumatra, Nacional, Bourbon vermelho, Bourbon amarelo e, finalmente, o Maragogipe, que foi o mais tardio. A variedade que apresentou sementes de maior tamanho foi o Maragogipe ; o Nacional, o Amarelo de Botucatu e o Sumatra produziram sementes de tamanho intermediário e o Bourbon vermelho e o Bourbon amarelo as de menor tamanho. A análise dos dados referentes ao período todo do ensaio (1935-1950), isto é, dezesseis colheitas, demonstraram o seguinte : a) existe diferença significativa entre a produção do Bourbon amarelo e a do Bourbon vermelho ; sendo o Bourbon amarelo mais produtivo ; b) existe diferença significativa entre a produção do Bourbon vermelho e a do Sumatra ; c) existe diferença significativa entre a produção do Sumatra e a do Maragogipe, Nacional e Amarelo de Botucatu ; d) não existe diferença significativa entre a produção do Maragogipe, Nacional e Amarelo de Botucatu ; e) o aumento médio de colheita, por ano, da variedade Bourbon amarelo, é maior do que o do Bourbon vermelho ; f) o aumento médio de colheita, por ano, do Maragogipe, é maior que o do Nacional e o do Amarelo de Botucatu.

The coffee varietal trial was initiated at the Campinas Experimental Station in 1931. The first harvest was gathered in 1935. The results for the period 1935-38 were published in 1939 and the united results for 1935-46, in 1949. The present paper describes the individual observations for the years 1947 to 1950 and examines the results for the whole period from the beginning (1935-1950). The trial proceeded normally in the years 1947-50. Adequate fertilizers were applied, the ground was cleaned regularly and the process of harvesting was satisfactory. The mean yield was studied year by year. During the period, Bourbon amarelo always attained first place while the other varieties varied in placing. The order of the varieties, in respect of the total yield for 1947-50, was : Bourbon amarelo (yellow Bourbon), Bourbon vermelho (red Bourbon), Sumatra, Maragogipe, Nacional and Amarelo de Botucatu. The variety which was the earliest to produce mature fruits was Amarelo de Botucatu, followed by Sumatra, Nacional, Bourbon vermelho, Bourbon amarelo and finally Maragogipe. The variety producing the largest seeds was Maragogipe : Nacional, Amarelo de Botucatu and Sumatra produced seeds of intermediate size, while the smallest were those of Bourbon vermelho and Bourbon amarelo. The analysis of the data for the whole period of the trial, i. e., for sixteen harvests, shows the following : a) the yield of Bourbon amarelo is significantly higher than that of Bourbon vermelho. b) the yield of Bourbon vermelho is significantly higher than that of Sumatra. c) the yield of Sumatra is significantly higher than those of Maragogipe, Nacional and Amarelo de Botucatu. d) the yields of the last three do not differ significantly among themselves. e) the rate of improvement of yield of Bourbon amarelo is greater than that of Bourbon vermelho. f) the rate of improvement of yield of Maragogipe is greater than those of Nacional and Amarelo de Botucatu.

A type of leaf chlorosis is shown by plants of excelsa coffee growing in nursery beds in a lath house at the Instituto Agronômico, Campinas. Tests made with various elements showed that this type of chlorosis is due to iron deficiency. Seedling plants of arabica coffee growing in the same beds do not show chlorosis, but these symptoms are exhibited by arabica scions grafted on some excelsa rootstocks. Scions from chlorotic excelsa plants recover the normal color when grafted on arabica rootstock. Likewise, arabica scions that had become chlorotic after being grafted on excelsa rootstock recovered when transferred onto an arabica rootstock. Other grafting tests indicated that no pathological cause seems to be associated with this type of chlorosis, and that it is probably due to genetical characteristics of the excelsa root system that prevents the plants from absorbing enough iron from the soil imder marginal conditions.

An experiment was started in 1931 for the purpose of making a comparative study of the productivity of following varieties of Coffea arabica L, : Nacional (Coffea arabica L. var. typica Cramer) Amarelo de Botucatu (Coffea arabica L. var. typica Cramer forma xanthocarpa (Caminhoá) Krug) Bourbon (Coffea arabica L. var. bourbon (B. Rodr.) Choussy) Bourbon amarelo (Coffea arabica L. var. bourbon (B. Rodr.) Choussy forma xanthocarpa Krug) Sumatra (Coffea arabica L. var. typica Cramer) Maragogipe (Coffea arabica L. var. maragogipe Hort. ex Froehner) The results obtained from this experiment for the period 1935-1938 have been the subject of a previous publication. The present paper concerns results obtained from the same experiment for the period 1939-1946. The data obtained have been analysed by varieties and years in relation to : date of ripening of coffee berries, average size of coffee beans and total production. The results of this analysis showed that there were definite annual variations in production by varieties. With respect to ripening of fruits (cherries) on the varieties tested, it was found that the Amarelo de Botucatu variety had the earliest date of ripening in every year. The Nacional and Sumatra varieties varied by years but they were always later than the Amarelo de Botucatu in date of maturity of the cherries. The fruits of Bourbon and Boubon Amarelo were slightly later than all of of the above mentioned varieties and the Maragogipe matured fruit later than all other varieties studied. The data on the average size of coffee beans showed that the Maragogipe variety produced the largest bean. The Bourbon Amarelo and Bourbon produced beans of the smallest size. The Nacional, Sumatra and Amarelo de Botucatu produced beans that were intermediate in size between the Maragogipe and Bourbon. The analysis of production showed that for each year for the first four years (1935-1938) there was a definite yearly increase in production for each variety tested. The data obtained for subsequent years (1939-1946) show that, for all except the Maragogipe variety, each year with a high yield was followed by a year with lower coffee production (see figure 1). On the basis of the total production for the entire period studied (1935-1946) it was found that Bourbon Amarelo variety was the most productive followed closely by the variety Bourbon. The Sumatra variety was intermediate in total production and appreciably less than the Bourbon types. The lowest yielding varieties in this experiment were Nacional, Amarelo de Botucatu and Maragogipe. The production data have also been studied by four year periods and as a result certain interesting minor variations in relation to varieties have been noted. A more detailed statistical analysis of the production data from this experiment has been carried out by Prof. W. L. Stevens (see following article in this issue). He has showed that the coffee varieties studied can be placed in three statistically different classes. The varieties, by classes, according to their decreasing capacity of production, are as follows : a ) Bourbon Amarelo and Bourbon ; b) Sumatra ; c) Nacional, Amarelo de Botucatu and Maragogipe.

A cultura do cafeeiro no Estado de São Paulo é feita plantando-se diversas mudas em uma mesma cova. Porisso, não se pode adotar nenhum tipo regular de poda, como se faz nos outros paises cafeicultores. Há algumas práticas que se executam com a finalidade de se manter o que se convencionou chamar de pé de café em condições de produzir satisfatòriamente. Um dêsses usos, aceito por uns e combatido por outros, é o que consiste na retirada dos ramos primários inferiores e sua ramificação, diminuindo-se assim a "saia" dos cafeeiros. O ensaio em exame teve por fim determinar se há ou não vantagem em se fazer a eliminação dêsses ramos. Foi plantado em 1932, na Estação Experimental Central de Campinas. A variedade empregada foi o Café Nacional, isto é, C. arabica L var. typica Cramer. Duas foram as séries examinadas : a) desbastada ; b) não desbastada. Cada série se compunha de 5 repetições de 25 cafeeiros cada uma. A série desbastada foi regular e anualmente limpa de ramos primários, desde o ano seguinte ao da plantação (1933), mantendo-se os cafeeiros livres de ramos até a uma altura de mais ou menos 50 cm do solo. Os ramos ladrões, quando deixados, também eram submetidos a poda idêntica. As adubações e tratos culturais foram idênticos para ambas as séries. As colheitas foram iniciadas em 1935. Neste trabalho são examinadas as produções de 10 anos, relativos ao período 1935-1944. A produção foi quase que em todos os anos maior na série não desbastada. Apenas no ano de 1944 a colheita da série desbastada foi superior à da não desbastada. Houve diferença significativa (P = 1%) para a produção das parcelas não desbastadas, no total dos dez anos. A maturação foi um pouco apressada nas séries desbastadas. Não houve, até ao presente, efeito do desbaste sobre o tamanho das sementes produzidas. Podemos, portanto, considerar como de efeito contraproducente a prática do desbaste dos ramos inferiores do-cafeeiro.

The coffee plantation in the State of S. Paulo is usually started by putting together four, six, eight or even more plants in each pit (cova). This practice makes difficult any regular system of prunning. The elimination of some lower primary branches to promote better development of the main stem and upper primary branches to increase the yield is customary among some of our farmers. In 1932 the Coffee Department of the Instituto Agronômico (Campinas) decided to start an experiment to determine the effects of such kind of prunning on the production of coffee trees. Coffea arabica L. var. typica Cramer was- the variety choosed for the test. Five series of plants two years old (one year after transplanting to the definite place) had their lower branches suppressed for the first time and five other series were left as control, i. e,. without prunning. Both series were planted in the open at the Central Experiment Station at Campinas. The prunning was repeated every year in order to maintain the main stem of the developed tree up to the height of 40-50 cm from the ground free of primary branches. The same procedure was used for suckers in cases when they were left in order to maintain the shape of the coffee tree. The results of the first ten years (1935-1944) of experimentation show that a difference was noticed in the yield capacity of both series. Just in a single year (1944) the production of the prunned series was higher than the control. It remained lower in all the other years. The differences in the total production between both series was statistically significant (P = 1.%). The fruits in the prunned series seemed to ripe earlier than the unprunned, the size of the beans remaining constant in both treatments. In the light of the above mentioned results we infer that the practice so long used by some of our farmers is not advisable since it leads to a decrease in yield.