The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1870-08-18
Mistellantous.
How Coffee is Cultivated.

The manner Of cultivating the coffee
plant varies but little iu the several
Central American States, and short
sketch OF how this favorte beverage is
produced may be interesting to all cof.
lee.driUkers:
The coffee beans are first planted in
hot beds, from which, in few months,
they sprout, and-shoot up FIVE or six
inches high, when they are removed
siugly and taken to the fields which
have been prepared to receive them
There the young sprouts are planted
anew, in rows, with space of from four
to six feet between each plant. For
two years they need no more care, ex.
cept an occasional plowng out of the
weeds which spring up around them.
The third year the plant is from three
to four feet high, and commences to
bear, producing about pound of coffee
fruit. Each year adds to the size and
productiveness of the tree, till it reach.
es about ten feet in height, after which
it gives product OF from twenty to
thirty Tounds of green fruit.
The coff.e fruit resembles in shape,
size, aud color plump cranberry, aud
grows clinging closely to the small,
lateral branches Of the tree; SO that the
hand can at once strip off the fifty or
more berries branch may bear. On
some plantations, the trees are dwarfed.
for the double purpose Of increasing the
fruitage aud facilitating the picking.
The time of picking the crop varies,
according to the locality, but ranges
from December TO March. When the
fruit is ripe, all hands are employed
men, women, aud ehildren--and as fast
ms picked the berries are sent TO the
mills, which, arranged something like
corn shelters, remove the pulpy cover
ings-leaving the kernels, which are
Immediately spread ont iu the sun to
dry. At this time the skies are watched
carefully, aud in case of rain, the ker.
nels are rapidly gathered under shelter,
as rain upon them while drying would
cause an irreparablc injury; and, on
some plantations, machines for drying
by hot air have been introduced Al.
ter few days in the sun, the kernels
become dry and crispy; they are then
thrown into circular trough. and LARGE
wooden rollers, shod with iron, crush
the shell, and liberate the two beans
which each shell contains. The bean
has still another coating-its skin
which is the hardest of all to remove.
but, through long continued attrition
with the iron.shod rollers, this, also, is
mostly removed and then the flaming
mill cleans the bean by blowing away
the loosened skin and broken shells.
But the most expensive part of the
process is now to come. Before long
tables sit the natives, young and old,
chattering, laughing, and singing as
they work, and on these tables are
poured the beans as they come from the
tanning mill. Each Indian holds
basket iu his or her lap, and with both
hands rapidly picks OUT, separately.
every perfect bean, till there remains
on the table nothing but broken and
imperfect coffee, of no value. The
hands are paid, at this work, so much
per quintet, of one hundred pounds, and
skillful pickers make good wages. IL
takes six hundred and sixty pounds Of
the fruit, as it comes from the tree. 10
produce one hundred pounds of clean,
marketable eofiee--and yet. it pays
OUerland Honthly.