The New York herald., 1878-01-10
COFFEE CULTIVATION.

POSSIBILITIES OF ITS INTRODUCTION INTO THE
UNITED STATES CoNsIDERED-KEPoRT OF
TIE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
WAsHiSGToS, Jan 9. 1873.
Tho following has been issued by the Department Of
Agriculture in relation coffee and the possib ties
Dr It's cultivation In the United Stases:-
The conditions OF latitude, climate and soil Of por.
Non of the United States lead to the conclusion that
,he coffee plant tree be cultivated to ex-
lent In this country with successful results 1t is a
fact worthy Of consideration from various causes
there been siderable falling OIL ale years in
tho production OF coffee in the different parts oil tho
world, and II could be demonstrated that portions
the United States are in every way adapted TO It's
cultivation the advantages 10 accrue irom It
manifest 10 require further mention.
Ihe total importation OF coffee into the United States
for tue year 1876 amounted to $780, S9 46 pounds and
6e,7ss, oo7
ESSENTIALS CLIMATE.
has been established by the best authorities on
The subject that great warmth Of climate Is not abso
luley essential to the growth of the coffee plant but
climate characterized BY neither extreme heat
kcold but possessing fair amount OF humidity The
Climate aud soil OF Florida, there Is every
believe, would answer these conditions SO It IS also
with Lower California and portion OF Texas. This
belief Is rendered almost certainty by the authc ntc
statements that IN these rogons-at east IN Florida
aud Caliiorna--thers Is found growing In abundance
Wild coffee with many Of the characteristics of
cultivated plant
Iu CAlitorna the experiment has been tried OF plant.
Ing The berry OF coffee obtained from Costa Rica
the results reported as satisfactory. The coffee OF
commerce comes chiefly Iiom Brazil venezucla,
Hayti, the British aud Dutch East Indies the vest
Indies AID Mexico.
HISTORY OF TIE PLANT
The plant (CdUsd Ardticd) Is tree from eight to
twelve iee in height sometimes attaining height Of
twenty and thirty feet When cultivated ITS upward
grown Is checked by topping, Tor convenience Of
gathering the frut Tho plants are grown from seed
In nurseries, ana when year old set out They
are IN full bearing the third year. and continue for
twenty years or longer II properly attended TO- The
plant ~ au everXrecus While II Is cultivated through
out the tropics Is patve OF the regions
the provinces Of that country From Abyssinia II
was Introduced into Arabia, and for u long limo
Arabia supplied all the coffee that then used.
some time IN the seventeenth century IL wss| intro
auced INTO Batavia ana Surinam and thence into tho
Western Hemisphere
THE yRUr OF THE CoPPKR TREE.
The iruit OF the conee tree resembles, when ripe,
The common chorry. Each berry contains two seeds,
which arc the coffee OF commerce. Their Hat lie
opposed TO each other tue centre OF the pulp, and
are separated by thin layer oil this and by tough
membrane watch closely enveiops them When dried
this pulp or cherry b. comes sort o pod which u
removed by means of u mill and winnowing machine 0.
They nrc picked from the by hand, or II flowed
to remain unn ready TO fall, are shaken on upon
cloths placed on the ground TO receive them.
The shrub Is planted IN warm situations, generally
the slopes oil hills, aud In SOL which
tain the rains which all on IT, IL IL usual TO plant
about nine hundred trees 10 tho acre, the yield
of u good season and OF this number OF trees fuli
bearing Is about two thousand pounds OF coffee,
The department proposes iurther to Investigate the
conditions OF soil and climate essentsl 10 the growth
OF the coffee plant and It's adapabty to portions Of
the United STATES, and respectfully requests any IN
formation Or suggestions 10 regard 70 the same.