The evening bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1887-1905, 1896-10-03
COFFEE IN MEXICO.
An Attempt to Get American Capital In
terested In 1t.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 22.-The people Of
st. Louis who know the Hon. Thomas
T. Crittenden, consul general of the
United States at the City Of Mexico,
have been writing to him for informa
ton about coffee growing in Mexico.
Mr.. Crittenden was Cnce governor Of
Missouri, and his friends are numb bored
by the thousands. So he has found it
necessary to get out through the state
department at Washington a circular
which he will send to these inquirers.
1t contains a great deal Of good advice
to people who are planning investments
in coffee plantations.
The occasion of all these inquiries
was the recent attempt of promoters to
interest American investors in coffee
plantations in Mexico. The answer
which Mr.. Crittenden has prepared for
the benefit of his correspondents will
have an unfavorable influence on the
booms, and the promoters will not
thank him for it.
Mr. Crittenden warns his friends not
to believe the exaggerated reports sent
out from Mexico. Many Of them, he
says, are highly colored for purpose
"As q rule" he says, Il would not
recommend any body to undertake coffee
raising III Mexico without sufficient cap.
ital to pay for $50 acres Of land, cash
in hand, and have at least So, 900 in
Mexican currency TO meet the first years
expenses. Two or more individuals may
club together and aggregate the above
mentioned capital, or more, and accom-
plish the same end, but by no means let
any small capitalist undertake to Guilt
vate over 100 acres in coffee and other
necessary crops. This 100 acres may be
made self supporting the first year by
cultivating % or 90 acres of it in coffee
and other things III connection with
chicken and hog raising, having vege-
table garden, and, by all means, a me-
dunn sized nursery of $4,000 coffee
seedlings to be ready for the balance of
the 100 acres"
Many failures in coffee growing in
Mexico arise from the fact that the man
ager Of a plantation is fresh from the
United States, with no knowledge Of
the physical conditions or the language
of Mexico and with no understanding
of the management Of Mexican labor.
Conditions for cultivating coffee, too,
are different in different parts of Mex
leo, and planting should be undertaken
only by an expert.
The greatest difficulty about coffee
growing is found in the fact that no
realization on the investment can be
had within four years. The cost of or
binary coffee land is $40 an acre. Clear
ing costs $40 more. The cost of trees
and planting is S. 20, and there is re-
Gently exacted annual state tax of s.. IS.
That makes the initial cost $50. IS per
acre. Every year the planter must pay
81. 50 state tax and SO to SO per acre for
wedding. In four years this adds about
$40 to the original investment, making
the cost before production $40. S5 per
acre. At the end of the fourth year the
yield is about $40 pounds of coffee to
the acre. On this federal tax of 2
cents ON each $50, municipal tax of
about l cent per pound and an export
duty of about q cents q pound are
charged. At the present price of coffee
one would realize 500 an acre on the
crop, but the gathering of coffee costs
$12. 04 and the preparation Of it $12. o.
per acre, so the outlay, not counting in
terest ON investment, would be $94. 49,
The original home of coffee is sup
posed to have been upper Ethiopia, and
it was transplanted thence to Arabia
Felix. 1t is still q controverted point
whether the beverage was known to the
Greeks and Romans The Persians
adopted the berry after the Philippians,
and the Arabs are entitled to the credit
for its more general introduction into
Europe. From Arabia the use of coffee
passed to Egypt, reaching Cairo at the be-
ginning of the sixteenth century. From
Egypt it passed to Syria, thence to
Greece and Constantinople A. d. 1854.
Coffee was introduced into England
in 1852. France adopted the use of the
berry ten years after England. Italy
claims the honor of having discovered !
its merits prior to France, and il is said |
that an Italian carried coffee to Mar.
settles in 1914.
The increase in the production of
Mexican coffee is about 33 per cent
year. There were in 1895, 90, 900, 900 |
coffee trees, producing %, 900, 600 pounds
of coffee. It's use by the Mexicans in
creases every year.
The use of coffee all over the world |
is increasing steadily. The demand for it
has become so great that many "coffee
are made. Some are sold |
under plain labels. but many are used
to adulterate coffee. This deception has
gone so far that there are imitation cof-
fee beans, which can be distinguished
from the genuine only with much diff
Guilty. The best way to distinguish J