Litchfield enquirer., 1881-10-06
Coffee.

| The United States furnish the best market in the world for this most valuable production | We had read with more or less attention the history of coffee and the methods of cultiva- | tion, but not until we had beautiful tree in our conservatory, grown from 8 berry of our | planting dld we understand the description or realize the extent of the popular ignorance in regard to it. The stately shrub passed through several years of growth, changing it's position | from the greenhouse in winter to the shaded lawn in summer, before it condescended to be- come fruitful. The foliage is very beautiful, l the evergreen, leathery leaves being oblong ! ovate, three or four inches in length, growing in pairs from opposite sides of the branch, and
 of 9 beautiful lustre, as if they had been yarn. ished. -+f'... -tIa The blossoms spring out from the axils of | the leaves, making their first appearance as a | tiny white spear nearly an inch long, standing up at right angles with the branch, and when
 open are remarkably fragant. They are each
 of them frail and short-lived, however, seldom
 lasting for more than twenty four hours. A
 plantation must be very beautiful thus sudden ly donning this snow white blossom to contrast
 with the rich green of the foliage Just around
 the angle of the leaf and branch the blossoms
 cluster, and soon change into the tiny begin-
 ming of the promised fruit.
 We cannot recall a single visitor, not fami-
 
 press surprise at the character of the growth. They all supposed that the coffee berry grew in pod like beans or peas, and could not re-
 alize until they saw it that the product of the tree was a delicious fruit like a cherry, al-
 though with thinner pulp, and that the berry 1t carried in couplets was the pit of fruit,
 like "cherry- stone" to be obtained only aft-
 ter the fruit had ripened and wasted.
 A tree will produce. from two to six pounds per annum, and will bear for twenty-five years, although they are usually cut down at the end of fifteen years. field hand will pick about thirty two pounds day. As a rule no attempt is made to separate the ''seed' from the fruit at the moment of picking. The fruit is placed on mats or large floors to dry, l and is frequently stirred to prevent injury.
 Then it IS passed between heavy rollers, which crush the dried skin and pulp and release the
 berries. Each berry is incIosed in thin yel- low membrane, which is very brittle when dried ,.f ..-7,,..4...,. t-isz,.f 4 q The two berrles are in separate cells, their
 fiat sides together. If. one becomes abortive,
 the other grows round, and fills both cavities. Such round berries are frequently found in nearly every parcel of coffee If one of these
 round, berries is planted and vegetates, it will
 produce tree that bears fruit with only round berries, and the somewhat celebrated
 "Pea-berry' or Maleberry coffee is thus ob- tained. 2. ..rts .,-
 It is great mistake, to purchase the old,
 long stored coffee at the higher prices gener- ally demanded, with the idea that it makes a
 more delicious beverage, .'Old" d"Mocha, and
 especially old government ssJava" have been
 held in high esteem by some epicures, who have accustomed themselves to their peculiar flavor, and this fashion has been followed by ct hers who supposed the example worthy of
 universal imitation. A very little reflection will show to any intelligent person the absurd ity of this preference. The best aroma of cof- fee is exceedingly volatile, and the utmost
 pains is taken to prevent it's escape in the pro-
 cess of preparation. To keep coffee berry
 for several years until the best part of it has dried out, and tEen to take such exceeding pains to peserve the remainder, is to t'spill at
 the bung and to spare at the spigot" Coffee,
 like tea, is best when newest, and those who have once acquired relish for the fresh green
 coffee will never again select ,il preference
 that which has lost the best of it's flavor from
 the lapse of time.- -Ne,o- York Journal of Com MeTce. aisssaff. saR 8s3a.ssfr l34a aa Isesst u Meyers has bad voice, but is all the time rrIriy, a ffl. nf