St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-12-11
The Decreasing Coffee Crop.
WHY 1T IS THAT THE FAVORITE BEAN is
GETTING MORE SCARCE

WHY 1T is THAT THE FAVORITE BEAN is
GETTING MORE SCARCE.
81 have read the various articles in
the Tribune with reference to the short
coffee CROP" said an old coffee planter
to a Chicago Tribune reporter, and do
not think that any of them have given
the real reason as to why the coffee crop
all over the world is every year getting
smaller by degrees and beautifully less.
One merchant says that the reason is
that the planters in Brazil have neglect
ed TO repant their plantations. This is
nonsense. You can not, or rather you
never do replant a coffee plantation. A
planter will always keep on what is
called supplying ;; that is. when there
is vacancy I'D any OF the rows caused
will plant new one. The real reason
OF the deficiency in the crop is the spread
of leaf disease, or hemelia vestatrix,
which in its ravages on the cotfee-tree
resembles the phyloxera on the vine.
No one knows exactly how this disease
first originated or what it really is. 1t
is a sort of yellow fungus, and at first
made its appearance to any notable ex-
tent in the Island of Ceylon and the
plantations on the Neilgherrie Hills in
India where it speedily caused the ruin
of nearly all the planters. 1t is pecul-
lar disease. At the proper season of the
year the trees will be covered with
leaves, and are, to all intents and pur-
will appear and in all probability will
set and the berries form. After this
the hemelia appears, the leaves will
turn yellow, and a fungus like yellow
ochre appears on them; the berries will
turn yellow next and drop off long be-
fore they arrive at maturity, SO that
from an original crop of say five hun
dred weight per acre not 100 pounds
will he gathered. EVERYTHING that human
ingenuity could suggest was tiled to
stop the ravases of this disease, but in
vain. The heaviest and costiest ma
rusing with natural and artificial ma
nures was tried, but it was just so much
money thrown away. New seed was
imported from places that were said to
be free from the disease, but the plant
no sooner showed its head above ground
than the leaves were seen to be infected.
This disease spread all over the East,
and firmly believe that there is no
coffee tree in the world now that is not
affected with it. A curious thing is that
saw coffee tree in the Royal Botanic
al Gardens in Kew. England, that was
completely isolated, and for all that the
leaves were covered with the disease.
For a long time the Brazilians denied,
and even yet deny, that they were at
tiicted with the disease, but have talked
with Ceylon planters who went to in
spect the Brazilian plantations, and who
told me that it is just as bad in Brazil
as ever it was in Ceylon. Jamaica and |
don't believe there is coffee producing |
country that is not. 1t is bound sooner |
or later to destroy coffee unless some |
new country is discovered where coffee
can be grown So as to pay, or new va
riety OF the bean, something like the
coffee liberica, is found that will be free
from it. Once an estate is attacked
nothing can save the trees, and it is only
question of time when they will die
out entirely. Under the circumstances
you will get no planter of sense to open
up new coffee land, and he will rather
devote his time and money to the pro-
duction OF tea, cinchona bark for quiz
nine. and cocoa. all of which will grow
on land that has to be abandoned for
coffee. am inclined to think that the
disease is caused by the exhaustion in
the soil of those chemicals which go to
produce coffee have seen plantations
with soil like garden mould where all
the coffee trees have died out, but on
which. nearly every other plant will
grow like weed. 1t is no earthly use
replanting an estate like that. Brazil
has a wonderful soil, but it is beginning
to be played out for coffee, and propri-
etors of plantations are afraid to open
up new land.
Another thing. In Brazil they are l.
having hard time with their labor.
Some years ago the slaves were freed
by gradual emancipations, and owners
of plantations are having considerable
in getting freedmen to work
at critical moments when the safety of
the crop depends upon large supply of
labor. A plentiful supply of labor is a
sine qua non in coffee planting, and the
want of this will always initiate
against the opening of new land. There
are many countries where coffee could
be grown, New Mexico, for instance,
bat the want of labor will always pre-
vent it. Coffee ripens up very quickly
and must be picked at once, otherwise
t falls to the ground and rots, or at
my rate, loses it's marketable value.
Unless something happens of prov
dental nature, which does not seem
likely at present, the sbortness Of the
;rop this year is nothing compared to
What it will be in the years to come"
4sNVnman will nevar he able tn obtain |