Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-10-23
How Coffee IL Raised.

How Coffee Is Raised.
Coffee is a plant of Turkish origin or
discovery. Many years ago some person
with n speculative turn of mind began
experimenting with the seeds of the
plant. which were discovered to be
growing in great profusion in Southern
Abyssiniu. in the district of Koffa, from
which the name Coffee. The plant also
grows well in many places in Western
Africa. II thrives only in warm situa-
tions upon the slopes OF hills and in soil
not retentive Of rain. Its cultivation IN
now carried on in nearly all the tropical
| countries, especially i'm Brazil, Java,
Ccylon. Sumatra, the Isle of Reunion,
! along the western coast of India, Arabia,
| Abyssnia, West Indies, Central Amer
lea, Venezuela, Guiana, Peru, Bolivia
and few of the Pacific islands.
The coffee plant reaches a height vary
| ing from eight TO thirty feet. The trunk
is covered with grayish bark. some
| thing like beach. White flowers put out
| in thick clusters around the branches,
then comes the fruA the seed or the
| berry i'm like clusters. The plant is
usually kept down by pruning, SO that it
! does not rise more than five feet in
/ height. This increases the productive
ness and adds To- the convenience in gath
cring the berries The slender. pliablc
branches spread out and bend down like
! those of apple trees. The plants are
raised from the seed in nurseries, and
when year old are transplantcd and set
out in rows. In three years the young
/ plants begin to yield fruit, but they are
not expected to do their best until five
/ years old, when they may be counted
/ upon rs valuable, and for the nexttwcnty
| years, with proper care, give fruit. The
| plant itself is an evergreen, with the
! leaves always flesh. At certain seasons
/ the blossoms extensively appear, scat
! tered among the leaves like sno~; but
/ they are hardly ever absent from the
| tree itself. which may be said To be Il per-
/ petual bearer. So it Is that the coffee
plant is putting forth blossoms while the
/ ruit itself is coming to maturity, rs
those berries which ripen are gathered
almost any and every season of the year.
/ though the great harvests are gathered
at intervals of twice or three times n
/ year.
The fruit itself when ripe resembles n
cherry. the hcshy portion surrounding
! the seed being very sweet and palatablc.
/ 1t is mt first red and then dark purple,
/ the bright red showing in such contrast
/ to the green rs to make the fields look
/ very beautiful. Every one of these cher
| rics or fruits contain two seeds. their fiat
/ sides being opposed to each other in the
/ center of the meat or pulp, and are sep
arated by thin layer Of something re-
scmbling tissue paper. but which is n
/ very tough membrane, and which not
/ only separates the seeds, but still wraps
around them to hold them close together.
/ ] he fruit is picked as are cherries and
dried. when the pulp itself becomes a
/ pod, which must be removed before the
/ seeds are ready for market. In some
/ countries the fruit is packed by hand at
/ intervals during the seasons of harvest
/ In Arabia and some portious of Bi iazil
/ it Is allowed to remain on the trees till
| thorougly ripe, when the trees are shaken
and the fruit falls upon cloths spread
/ upon the ground The two eds inside
/ the pulp are male and female. the male
seeds when planted producing more
/ trees. while the female seeds bring forth
nothing.
! In Brazil and some portions of India
/ the curing and preparing of coffee for
market is performed by spreading the
/ fruit TO the thickness OF several inches
/ on smooth beds or surfaces under tho
. heat of the sun, so that fermentation sets
/ in and the entire mass becomes anything
/ but pleasant TO taste or smell. After n
/ time the fermentation ceases, the moist
ure disappears, when the dried fruit is
/ shoveled or passed between wooden roll
ers, and sometimes pounded as clothes
are pounded in barrel. with wooden
pestles, until the pulp is broken. after
which it is entirely washed away. Next
comes the separating OF the tough mem
brane so that the seeds can be separated,
which is done by passing the seeds he;
| prick and pull this membrane to pieces,
so that it becomes as chaff. which is re-
moved by winnowing. as wheat is
cleaned by running it through tanning
mil.