The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-10-03
A cup Of Coffee.

regard the loss Of their daily cup Of coffee
as one of the greatest privations they could
endure, although it is only for the last two
hundred years that coffee has been gcner-
ally known to the civilized world.
Coffee is pOpulary supposed to have been
first used by the Arabians, but careful
research leads us to the knowledge that the
Philippians and Abysinians knew of its
strengthening and invigorating qualities
for many years before the nations of Ara.
bia used it. 1t is said that the sayages Of
higher Ethiopia pounded the parchod bean,
as they would grain, making coarse
-four from it, which they mixed with
grease, and separated into little balls
Two or three of these balls would support
man whole day, and were, therefore,
as they took up SO little room, in high
favor with the warriors while out on ma
raudipg expeditions
Arabia, however, had the honor of first
introducing it to the civilized world. 1t
was introduced then by the Persians, who
procured it from the Philippians. The
city Of Alden was the first place where it
become popular as beverage. From
there it spread rapidly all over Arabia and
Turkey, and lead to the establishment of
the coffee houses which are to be found
in almost every part of the world.
The coffee plant is an evergreen, and if
allowed would grow to height Of sixteen
or seventeen feet, but in extensive planta-
tons it is topped and stunted to about FIVE,
so that the berries eau be picked with
greater convenience. The stem of the
tree or shrub is from ten to fifteen inches
in circumference, and the bark whitish
and somewhat rough, while the leaf is long
and graceful, covered with silvery furze
on the under side, and resembling in gen
eral appearance that of the citron tree
When full grown it looks like small apple
tree. When the tree begins to grow the
lower branches bend and extend them
selves in round form somewhat like an
umbrella. As on the nutmeg tree, bios
SONS and green andripe fruit may be seen
on each shrub at any season of the year.
When the blossoms fall off there springs
from under it small fruit first green,
but becoming red as it ripens. This is
very much like cherry and quite pleas
ant TO eat. The pit of this cherry is the
coffee Of commerce. We are wrong in
calling it pit, it is rather bean enclosed
in fine thin skin which holds the two
halves together. When the bean is per-
fectly ripe, the cherry or heshy outside,
which was before good to eat, dries and
forms deep brown pod for the berry,
which is then ready to pick
The coffee berry when ripe, is, in the
West Indies, Java, Ceylon and South
America, prepared for market by ma
chine process called pulpiug and washing,
which greatly expedites matters, and turns
out a quality of coffee much preferred by
the dealers, as it makes a clearer and
brighter bean. II is a fact not generally
known to con sumers, however, that
coffee curing as it is done in Persia
and Arabia, is much superior, and the
same quantity Of coffee that is cured
in the pulp by the action of the sun
will produce much stronger decoe-
ton than that which has been pulped and
washed, for the mucilaginous substance
which is washed of by the pulping
process is absorbed by the bean when cured
the other way. This gives strength to the
product, and enhances its aromatic favor.
Another fact not generally known about
coffee here, is that the leaves, contain the
same essential principle as the berry, and
that beverage made from them is equal
If not superior to the infusion of the berry
itself During visit to Sumatra, some
years since, we made hunting expedition
into the interior of the Island. While
stopping at village we observed native
making an infusion Of some dried leaves,
and curious to see what beverage he was
concocting, we tasted it, and found to our
surprise that II was most excellent coffee.
For small piece of tobacco we bought
several pounds of the dried leaves, and
used them entirely during the remainder
Of the expedition, as we found they made
much superior coffee to the beans we had
brought with us, besides being much less
trouble to prepare.
The consumption of coffee in the United
States is nearly double that of any country
in the world, aud the increasing consump-
ton throughout the world threatens to
make the demand more than the present
sources of production can supply. For
some years past, Mexico has exported
small quantity OF very superior article,
and all through our wonderful State Of
California wild coffee shrubs are plentiful,
and pronounced by experts to be capable
of producing under cultivation very su-
perior grade of coffee The American
Grocer
The usEs OF WALKING Walking
for young and active people is by far the
best exercise; riding is good for the
elderly, middle aged, and invalids. The
abuse Of these exercises consists In taking
them when the system is exhausted more
or less by previous fasting or by mental
labor. Some persons injudicously attempt