Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-02

Brazil sends us SO per cent. of the total
quantity imported. That country and
Venezuela sends us over four-fifths of the
total quantity. In 1883 80 per cent. of
our imports were derived from American
sources. The eleven countries above given
sent us over 81 per cent. of our total i'm
ports. Little change is to be noted in the
coffee imports into this country over pc
Rod of ten years as regards countries fur
nishing it. In 1878 SO per cent. of the
coffee imported came from American coun-
tries, or about the same proportion as in
1887. In 1888 IS per cent. of our total
coffee import came from American sources.
Hayti and Venezuela send us less coffee
proportionately than in 1878. Brazil be-
sides being the largest exporter of coffee
to the United States, is also the heaviest
cofee-producing country, growing as it
does an annual crop about half that of the
total worlds production, Q,430, 100000
pounds. The exports in 1885 fiscal year,
were in excess of this average, they aggre-
eating T48,694, 100 pounds. In 1SS4-S5
coffee represented over two-thirds of the
total value of the exports from Brazil
Much uncertainty exists as to the size
and area of the coffee production of Brazil.
Provinces Of Rio de Janeiro Sac Paulo,
Menas Geraes, Pernambuco, Para, Bahia
and Rio Grande do Sui OF these the pro-
Para and Sac Paulo, and to be either
stationary or steadily declining in the re-
mainder. There is plenty of room for the
extension of the culture. Improved trans
portation facilities are constantly opening
Il
Paulo (Santos the chief port) appears to
v5e the best adapted to the culture, as sta
tistics of production in the past note a
larger increase in area and yield than in
any other province. The taxation of
coffee by means of an export duty brings
in large revenue. The history of this
taxation is an interesting one, but space
forbids details. Efforts to reduce the ex-
port tax have not been very successful, but
some progress has been made The export
taxes levied are of two kinds The i'm
perial tax is now Z per cent. reduced to
this from per cent. in 1892. There are
in addition duties levied by the various
provinces ranging from per cent. in Rio
de Janeiro and Santos to 7 per cent. in
Bahia and Ceara.
Venezuela is next to Brazil, the largest
exporter of coffee to the American mar
kets. The room for the extension of this
industry Is very large, but it is hampered
by the small quantity of labor available.
Caracas and Valencia are the centers of
the coffee-growing industry, while Mara
caibo, Laguayra and Puerto Cabello are
the chief ports.
Guatemala, Mexico and the United
States of Columbia are of about equal i'm
portance as regards their shipments to the
United States, but Guatemala coffee ranks
highest in price. Most of this coffee is
sent TO Europe. The coffee of Mexico is
grown chiefly in the State of Vera Cruz,
from the port Of which the bulk of the
crop is sent to the United States. The
want of capital and labor in sufficient
quantities is said to be the only bar to the
almost unlimited extension of the Next
can fee-growing industry. The coffee
crop of Costa Rico, chiefly exported from
Punta Arenas, bears no export duty, the %
duty formerly levied being removed in
1882. Most of il is sent to England. OF
the West Indies, Hayti sends the largest
quantity to the United States, 5,745, l9S
pounds in 1887, against 16,O23, 22l pounds
in 1856. Haytian coffee exports to this
country reached their height in 1881,
when 81, 90S,074 pounds were sent. The
British West Indies in 1887 sent 4, 551 1853
pounds, against 2,el7 ,24s pounds in 1886.
Exports from other islands were of insig-
nificant proportions in 1887. Hayti levies
very heavy export duty on coffee, SO per
100 pounds being the rate. This duty,
added to the low price ruling, accounts
for the decline noted in 1887 from previ-
Gus years. In nearly all the countries
and islands mentioned the room for further
extension is large. Progress is hampered
in many cases by one or more causes. such
as want of labor, improved machinery for
cleaning and preparing the product, and
high export duties radstree