Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-05-06
Coffee.

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by some mystery but 1t is asserted by q
naturalist Of considerable authority that
it came originally from Africa. 1t was
cultivated from time immemorial on the
declivities of Abyssinia, yet was not
known to the Greeks or Romans. In the
fifteenth century it penetrated into
Arabia and there produced its finest va
riety, the celebrated Mocha. From
Arabia the cultivation of the plant
spread rapidly over the East. It's intro
duction into Europe was more slowly
effected. In 1857 q small quantity was
brought to Paris by French traveller
named Thevenot. Two years later Soil
man Aga, the Turkish Ambassador at
the court of Louis XIV, treated his
guests from the royal household with a
cup of the beverage and they did not
find 1t disagreeabIe. Toward the end Of
the seventeenth century Wieser, Bur-
gomaster of Amsterdam, attempted the
cultivation Of coffee in Batavia, Dutch
colony in the Indian Archipelago. The
attempt was successful ana coffee was
soon made a staple product in the islands
of the Archipelago.
From Batavia some young plants were
taken to the botanical garden at Amster-
dam, where they throve vigorously. One
of these plants was carried to France
about ITO and placed in the Jardin des
Plantes. From this q number of sprouts
were obtained. In 1870 or 1926 Capt.
Desclieux, of the French navy, re-
solved to experiment with the
plant in the French colonies of the
Gulf of Mexico. "When embarking for
Martinique he took from the Jardin oes
Piantes three stalks of coffee and car
ried them with him. The voyage was
long and difficult, by reason of contrary
winds. The supply of water proving in
sufficient it was necessary to put the
crew on rations. Capt. Desclieux, like
the others, had but small quantity of
water to drink each day. He divided it
with his coffee-plants. Notwithstanding
all his care two died on the passage;
only one arrived safe and sound at Mar
Unique. Put at once into the earth 1t
prospered 80 much and SO we'll that from
1t have descended all the cofee-trees
now spread over the Antilles and tropical
America" ft
Soon after the introduction of coffee
into Europe coffee-houses sprang up all
over the Continent. The first was estab-
lished at Constantinople in 1861. In
1862 during the Protectorate) coffee.
house was opened in Newman's court,
Cornhill, in London. The story OF this
house runs as follows: A merchant
named Edwards brought some coffee
home with him from Smyrna, and his
friends, hearing of the new and delicious
beverage, thronged his house to beg a
taste of it. TO rad himself Of the annoy
ance the merchant opened coffee house
and put his Greek servant at the head of
it. The first coffee house in France was
established in Marseilles in 1911 A year
afterward there was one in Paris, which
had many rivals within brief period.
Coffee (Oofaea Arabica) belongs to the
natural order CincltonaceB and is allied to
the Otnchtaaas, whose bark is employed
as febrifuge and tonic; the Ipecdc1anlta,
whose root is used as an emetic, and
with the Bouuardlds, Cardinals and lao
rds, which are the pride of our hot.
houses. In wild state the coffee-plant
twenty five feet, with but few branches.
The leaves are ever green, oblong and
shining, and the small, snow-white flow
ers are clustered in their axis The
fruit ripens In lighthouses in Britain,
where the plant frequently blossoms.
Under cultivation the tree yields its
first crop IN the third year from plant
ing, and the largest yield is not above a
pound of the seeds. The tree continues
in flower eight months together, and
meantime the seeds are in all stages of
maturity. In the West Indies and Bra
iii the crop is harvested three times an
nually.