The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1873-07-30
The Coffee Prospect.
From the Boston Globe

4
/ Next to a cigar said a celebra
ted Frenchman, there is nothing
SO directly related to the soul as
coffee" We may be allowed, per.
haps. to discount the cigar. Coffee,
like Falstaff's sherries sack, hath a
two-fold operation in it, 1t affords
not only pleasure in the drinking,
but it contains more nourishment
than many kinds of food. 1t is emf
nently healthful, cheap and agreea-
able. When the duty was removed
or rather reduced, a year ago, it was
universally supposed that there
would be consequent reduction in
price; but no reduction was ever
made, and the prospects are that at
least ten per cent. will be added to
present rates the coming season.
The lovers of the fragrant berry
will be panied to learn that the sup
ply on hand is by no means a large
one, and that the prospects of the
crop in the coffee countries are far
less favorable than usual. This COM
pleet with the fact that the consump-
ton has been and is steadily increas-
ing makes it certainty that while
prices will be higher, choice brands
will be more difficult to obtain
Among the poor, the old substitutes
of war time, chickory, burnt peas,
and other unsuccessful limitations,
will probably have their day again,
and do duty as patent" coffee.
The larger part of the coffee used
in the Eastern States is Maracaibo,
though it is sold under different
names. OF this the supply is con-
stantly lessening, while the incom-
ing crop is hardly a third of that of
last year. OF the Brazil and Java
kinds there is a present abundance.
Brazil produces about one half the
entire consumption of the world.
After ner comes Java and Sumatra,
then Ceylon, and, last in rank of
Importance, the West India islands.
In this country the great place of
import is New York, which receives
probably two-thirds Of the entire
amount of the coffee imported In
1859 the consumption Of the berry
was 100000 bags per month, but
during the war gold went up and the
consumption fell to 100000 bags per
month, causing a large surplus to
accumulate in the markets of all
foreign countries, particularly in
Europe. After the close Of the war,
in 1868 coffee was sold by New
York dealers at less than eight cents
per pound in gold. These low whole
sale prices prevailed until 1870,
when by singular coincidence there
was a failure of the crop in the three
largest coffee-producing countries in
the world, Brazil, Java and Ceylon
This gave rise to speculation, and
the price advanced seventy per cent.
In the trade, good coffee now rules
at from sixteen to seventeen cents
in gold. In England it is yet higher
The entire Brazilian crop is esti-
mated at 100000 bags per year.
The United States receivs half of
this. This year the supply will pro-
badly be limited to 100000. The
same ratio Of reduction on the crops
from other countries will be severe !
ly felt. But high prices are better
than a famine, and until the supply
is wholly cut off we need not grum-
BILE. A time of scarcity is nearly al
ways followed by time of plenty, |
and it is comforting to reflect that
what is extracted now from our
pockets, over and above the present !
rates, may be made good next year,
by a flooding of the market and a
heavy fall in prices.