Martim laughed.
"It's easy to see that you've never seen coffee growing," he said. "Did you think you could go and pick the browned berries and stew a pot of coffee?"
"No," said Maria demurely, "because we don't 'stew' coffee where I live."
Everybody laughed at this passage-at-arms between the two children, and Senhor Lopez said,
"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."
"How does the coffee grow, Uncle Hilario?" asked Maria.
"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."
"Are the trees planted, or do they grow wild like our rubber trees?" asked Affonzo.
"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. "It takes from three to five years for them to bear."