human
What pretty, glossy leaves those trees have!
gpt
Those are coffee trees, said Martim.
human
They grow about twelve feet tall.
gpt
But where are the brown berries, asked Maria.
human
Are they all picked?
gpt
It's easy to see that you've never seen coffee growing, he said.
human
Did you think you could go and pick the browned berries and stew a pot of coffee?
gpt
No, said Maria demurely,
human
We are beginning to see trees belonging to our plantation now. It is three miles square and we have just reached the edge of the land. The house is still three miles away.
gpt
How does the coffee grow, Uncle Hilario?
human
Do you see the cluster of green pods on the trees, my dear? Well, seeds are within the pods, and when they are ripened must be dried, roasted and ground before they are ready for your coffee-pot. Later in the season the fruit turns bright red in colour, and makes a vivid contrast to the foliage of the trees, which is green the year around.
gpt
Are the trees planted, or do they grow wild like our rubber trees?
human
They are planted in rows and sometimes grow as high as twenty-five feet. Usually they are between ten and fifteen feet high when they first bear fruit, said the Senhor.
gpt
It takes from three to five years for them to bear.
human
When is the harvest time?
gpt
We have two crops so there are two harvests, one in February and one in August. Sometimes you see fruit and flowers on the same tree at the same time. The blossoms grow in little white bunches and are very fragrant.
human
I should think it would take a lot of people to pick all this coffee,
gpt
It does. If you were to be here next February you would see hundreds of negroes and Italians, men, women, and children, busy up and down these long rows. Many of them live in those little houses,