Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-10-08
Coffee---Its Origin. Culture, 60.

|. Coffee is believed to be native Of Abys.
sinia, and came down to US through Arabia,
Persia and Turkey. 1t was carried into the
last country by Selim, after his conquest to
Egypt, but it was not until 1854 that it was
publicly sold in Constantinople. The Turks
| are forbidden the use of wine, and hence coffee
is in great repute, on account of its exhilarat-
ing qualities The city of Constantinople is
filled with coffee-houses. ...
Coffee was introduced into England by q
Turkish merchant named Edwards, whose SER
want was skillful in preparing it, and who un-
der the patronage of his master, established
the first coffee-house in London, in George
Yard, Lombard street. Coffee was then sold
for four or five guineas pound. A duty was
soon levied upon it of fourpence gallon, when
made into beverage
The cultivation of coffee was introduced
from the East into the West Indies, as well as
South America, by the Dutch and French
Coffee trees were also carried from Mocha to
Holland, and so late as l7l4, a plant was pre-
sented to Louis XIV, by the magistrate of
Amsterdam, and was placed at Marty under
the care of the wellknown Jusseu A few
years afterwards one of the shoots of this very
plant was sent Cayenne and Martinique. In
these tropical regions the plant fourshed ex-
tensively, and there is now a large export
therefrom. In two centuries Coffee has made
its way throughout the whole civilized world
Before the commencement of the eighteenth
century it was not known, except to some saw
age tribes in Abyssinia.
Coffee cannot be grown in any countries
where the mercury never sinks below 50 deg
The tree grows to the height of twelve or fifteen
feet, with leaves something like that of the
common laurel. The blossoms are white, much
like those OF the jessamne, and they issue from
the angles of the leaf stalks When these
flowers fade they are succeeded by the beans
or seeds, which when ripe are enclosed in a
reddish berry. Every berry contains two of
these seeds CT beans, which are surrounded by
yellowish glutinous pulp. They are as well
known, convex on one side and fat on the 9TH
er, with a slight furrow in the middle of the
fat side. They lie in the berry with the fiat
sides together
Coffee plants are set cut at regular distan-
ces, and flourish best in dry soils They com
mence bearing when about two year cid The
effect of coffee plantation in full bloom, is
very beautiful The whole field looks as if it
had been visited by gentle fall of snow. In
AldUid, anu ~ Iilt lIdSI ScIltldlS, COHGc Is
much finer favored than it is in the West In
dies and South America 1t is gathered with
far more care in the former than in the latter
section. The Mocha coffee is, undoubtedly,
the best in the world. It's superiority is owing
to superior climate, soil, and culture Next
in reputation to the Mocha, are the Java and
Ceylon coffees then those of Bourbon, kar-
Unique, and Berbice. The Jamaica and St.
Domingo cofees are, comparatively speaking,
very poor.
The housekeeper has done much towards
procuring fine aromatic cup of coffee when
she procures the best article There is much
yet to be done, though, III order to the great
result, and that much lies in the roasting
The best berry that Mocha ever produced may
be offensive to the taste. if improperly roasted
The roasting should be done in close vessel
otherwise much of the fine aroma will be dissi-
pated. The best machines we have seen are
hollow cylinders formed of sheet iron, which
are made to revolve upon an axis, and which
are turned with crank The fire should be
brisk uEder the cylinder, and the crank should
be continually in action when the roasting pro-
cess is going on. When the coffee has attain
ed deep cinnamon color and an oily appear
ance, and when above all it sends forth a rich
aromatic flavor, it should be taken from the
fire, well shaken, and suffered to cool Those
who know add that not more than half
pound of coffee should be roasted at once. In
italy they roast coffee, very frequently in the
TASKS of glass used for oil, very well it is done
in this way. The non-conducting power of the
glass is thought to give it an advantage over
metal of any kind, and the coffee is thought
to be less likely to burn.
Another requisite in order to a good cup of
coffee, is to have it roasted and ground just
before it is wanted for use, or if not, it should
be kept in vessels as nearly air tight as posi-
BILE.