Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-11-17
COFFEE
BY PROF.. JOHN DARBY.

THE coffee, as it appears in commerce
I. is the seed of a small evergreen tree, in
digenous TO Southern Abyssinia and Ii
IBERIA, occupying a narrow belt, proba-
bly,, across the continent of Africa. It
belongs to the natural order cinchonacae,
the same order from which uuinine ia
derived. 1t is often seen in our hot
houses; there q small shrub with dark
green foliage. The seeds, if fresh, read
lily germinate; and in a suitable climate
the plant commences 10 bear in three
years, and continues bearing during
twenty years or more. There is one
main crop during the year, but there are
flowers and ripe fruit ever on the tree,
like most other tropical dicotyledonous
fruits.
The ripe fruit resembles Il cherry in
size and color, but contains two seeds
instead Of one. The seeds are inlbcdded
in pulp, which at particular time is
edible. If allowed to remain on the tree
the pulp dries up. It is asserted that
the coffee is improved by allowing the
pulp to remain on the seed till perfect
" dry. The dry envelope is then re
moved bymachinery and the chafF fam
ed out.
The character Of the seed is much AZ
fected by climate and soil. Dry, hiIIy
lands are said to produce the finest cof-
fee. The grains are smaller, harder and
more highly aromatic when roasted.
The time when coffee was not used as
"a beverage by the Abssinians is un-
known. In the beginningof the fifteenth
century it was transpIanted into Arabia;
about a century later it begun to be used
in Eastern Europe. In 1861 it was in
use in London, and the first cofee-house
was established by q Greek servant
The culture Of the coffee soon spread
over the whole intertropical world, and
it now forms an important article OF
commerce.
Brazil is the greatest producer of cof-
fee. That known in the trade as Rio,
is Brazilian coffee. OF the 7I3, 900, 900
lbs. produced by the world, per annum,
Brazil furnishes 400, 100000 or more
than half of the whole. Java 10000
600, Ceylon 100000, St. Domingo 4O,-
100000, Cuba and Porto Rico 25, 900, 900,
Venezuela $4,000, 900, Sumatra q, 900, 900
all other, including the Mocha, 17,OOO.-
900.
The United States is the greatest con-
sumner. We use in the United States
nearly one-third of all the coffee con-
sumed in the world, using nearly seven
times as much as Great Britain, with a
population not very far from the same.
Germany comes next. Russia, the eIarg-
est and most populous, the least.
Varieties of coffee are very great in
number. The Mocha is the most highly
esteemed. 1t is very doubtful whether
any first quality of Mocha coffee reach
es our market. 1t is picked over and
sorted. The best retained, the inferior
exported. The amount produced, too,
is comparatively very small. Probably
ten pounds of coffee is sold as Mocha,
that did not come from Arabia, to one
that is the genuine Mocha. The Java
is the next most highly esteemed. All
coftees improve by age. The Eastern
cotfees will ripen, as it is called, in two
or three years; but the American cof-
fee require much longer time, ten to
fifteen years. Some have supposed all
are equally good or may become so by
age. That the coffee seed changes by
exposure is evident. That it will, in its
natural state, absorb volatile materials
has been abandantly proved. By being
stored with odorOus materials, it will
imbibe their Ordor. Cargoes have been
ruined by proximity of other materials
in the cargo.
The constitution OF coffee has been
studied with the utmost care by the
most eminent chemists. The only ma
terials which specially demand our at
tention, at present, are caffeine, sugar
and fat. There is found in the coffee
grains about lper cent. Of caffeine. 6 to
per cent. Of sugar, and 70 20 l. per
cent Of fat.
Caffeine was discovered bv Fange, il
1920 and from him received its name
It is The distinguished element Of cof-
Zee. II is a nitrogenOg . matcrial, and
adapted to afford true nuurishmcnt 70
the system. What is q most singular
fact is, that this material IS found in
tbose substances extensively employed
by mankind as daily beverages. Tee
contains It. The Paraguay Tea lea
PaT0guay0ensis), the le4vCs Of which