The Republican journal., 1896-11-05

the islands and to the scarcity of labor
after the emancipation of slaves. Recent
reciprocity arrangements with the Cen
trail American Republics secured to us
an increased supply of the finest coffee in
the world hundreds of miles nearer to our
markets than the coffee fields of other
countries. On the best authority it is
stated that Honduras produces the very
finest coffee grown in Central America,
the condition of soil and climate being ex-
actly right for it, especially at an eleva-
ton from 1000 to 1000 feet above the
sea. The coffee habitually served here,
amber liquid, which exhilarates and re-
freshes-is as wide contrast to the aver
age hotel decoction of the United States
as can we'll be imagined, the latter being
too frequently like the Missouri river as
somebody describes it-''too thin to walk
on and too thick to swim in.'' Botani-
cally speaking, there are several species of
coffee trees, but only one of value, (cof-
foca Arabica), the seeds of the rest being
bitter; and of the product of the species
Arabica, there are as many grades as of
bean is easily affected by the soil, pres
ence of weeds, amount of cultivation be-
slowed upon it, sun, air and moisture re-
ceived, time of picking and the care and
attention given in asserting and preparing
it for market. The terms "Mocha,n
Java, ''Rio. etc, are mostly used to
designate grades and qualities, without
any geographic or botanical significance
The imports from Arabia to-day are of
small consequence. If posted, you can
tell (which is which to certainty,
coffee is large yellow bean; Jamaica is
like Java, only trihe smaller and slight
ly greenish; Mocha is a small, gray bean,
with decided greenish tinge; Bourbon
is pale yellow, almost white, and Surf
nam is the largest bean of all. In Suma-
ira the leaves of the tree are used, like
Chinese tea. The leaves contain a good
deal more of coffeine than the bean itself,
and the wonder is that they are never
seen in our markets.
If you We're going to start cot
Tee plantation in Honduras-or any
where else, for that matter-you would
find the greatest cost in preparing the
ground. Here the face of the earth is
covered with heavy beard. Tropical rain
and sunshine have created a jungle that
defy pen and brush to picture, or ordinary
implements to eradicate. The giant trees
are tied to each other and firmly anchored
to the earth by a bewildering mass of
llianas, vines and creepers of every de-
scription, all tangled together like the
cordage of a wrecked ship. This has to
be cut down, and worse STILL cut up. The
winter, or wet season, from June to De-
cembeD, is the time for this herculean
task. There are only two seasons in these
parts, the wet and dry. During the latter
| season as much as possible of the fallen
jungle must be burned, leaving a chaos of
charred trunks and stumps, that rot away
in couple of seasons more and fertilize
the already rich virgin soil to degree I'M
known in the North. Then the natives
must De set to work with their machetes,
| clearing out the host of plants and weeds
that have sprung mp like magic; and then
the young coffee trees may be set. This
al ~, tl,., 10
to $50 an acre in American money, &C
cording to locality. After clearing and
planting comes two or three years more
of stubborn, relentless fight against the
weeds; afterwards the coffee trees them
selves will keep down the weeds. OF
course you can buy cleared land, if able
to pay for it, and at very reasonable rates,
and in that case it would be better to buy
coffee plants 6 or months old. Or if
time is mo Object you may start them
from the seed while the land is being
cleared. To do SO you must have a rich
soil that has been thoroughly worked over
and fertilized. Fully ripe single beans,
still covered with the coraceous skin, are
planted after being rolled in wood ashes
Frames covered with fern leaves are placed
over the nurseries and the plants remain
in their beds from Is to is months, until
the young trees are 20 inches high. The
delicate plants require plenty of light, air
and water, but must be protected from
the full glare of the tropical sun and water
ed at night to prevent scalding. Muir
series are always kept in operation in all
the large haciendas to replace defective
trees as well as to increase the area of
cultivation. Given plants of the requisite
growth for transplanting, and soil prepared
to receive them, they should be set six feet
apart, in rows eight or ten feet wide. That
leaves ample room between them for corn,
/ bananas, pineapples, tobacco, or whatever
the planter wishes to cultivate for imme-
date profit while waiting for the trees to
yield, besides providing for spread of
branches in future years. In two years
from the time of planting the coffee trees
begin to bear lttle in four years they
arrive at full maturity. and henceforth