The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-09-25

ct. Labor is very cheap, the price for men
per day is one real (125 cents, for women
one medic (6f cents The coffee of San
Salvador is cured without water, and it has
a dark, dingy, discolored appearance, much
unlike the first quality of Guatemala, which
is clear, waxy, transparent and of green
color.
It is claimed by merchants and planters
in Salvador that coffee cured without
water (which method is compulsory with
them, as they have no water during the
coffee season. is better, as it retains all the
strength and flavor, which the use of water
extracts to certain degree; but this theory,
in our opinion, is not correct. The term
"washed coffee" as understood with us
here, is coffee that has been washed after
it has been once dried and milled, which
apparently does extract some ofthe strength
and favor, and consequently lessons the
value of coffee naturally fine and rich, so
far as the drinking quality is concerned,
while the same process used on coffees which
are rank and harsh in flavor is beneficial.
But the use of water in pulping, while the
bean is green, soft and full of moisture,
thereby cleaning and curing, but retaining
the original color, must be the perfect way
of curing, as this preserves the natGral per-
feet flavor of the berry. The curing of
coffee is of vital importance, as it is in this
that the foundation is laid for fine quality,
aroma and perfection of style; and when
coffee, by improper treatment becomes
stained, spotted or discolored, the drinking
qualities and green appearance have GER
tainly been proportionately damaged.
Guatemala coffees have wide range of
values in drinking merits, although the
style and appearance of the bean may be
about the same, and this difference of
drinking quality may often occur in the
same coffee-growing district. The bulk of
the crop of Guatemala coffee is exported to
London and Hamburg, little coming to the
United States, and that being third or
fourth quality. San Jose and Champerico
are the shipping ports of Guatemala, Cham
perico being very much the larger port of
the two, and the quality of coffee grown in
this vicinity is said to be the finest in the
country The facilities possessed by Qua
temala for producing fine, slightly, perfect
coffee are not excelled by any coffee grow
ing country; but there are immense obsta-
cles to be overcome in purchasing coffee in
Guatemala As before said the conditions
already described must be studied to know
the value of the coffee one is purchasing.
Besides, only very small part of the coffee
is purchasable at all, as many of the larger
plantations are owned by parties in Europe,
to whom the coffee is all shipped, and most
of the planters who are able to move their
crop prefer to consign to their own cores
pondents and take their chances. This
class of planters will not sell their coffee
except at a fabulous price. What is more
strange, there is never bag of coffee in
any city or shipping port for sale; neither
can a sample be found. The purchasable
coffee is found only at the plantation, where
the whole crop must be bought sin parch-
ment," or an advance of cash made to en-
able the planter to have the coffee milled
and graded. Bags must also be furnished
him, and money to transport to the ship
ping port Such are part Of the obsta-
cles to be overcome in purchasing coffee in
that country, which makes it hazardous
business for foreigner.