The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-08-06
WHAT is NEEDED
Inspector to C Properly
Grade Hawaiian Coffee.
Losses Sustained Through Mis-
takes of Growers-Centrai
MIL Needed.
Communicated

(Communicated.)
II these Islands are to make and
maintain a reputation as a coffee
growing country, one point must evel
be kept in view, viz: The proper
treatment Of the berry for the market
During the last season a considera.
bic quantity Of inferior coffee has beer
shipped to Honolulu, owing to careless
handling and lack Of proper facilities
for curing the unusually large crop
The fine color and fragrant flavor OF
coffee, as of almost all other kinds OF
fruits grown, depend chiefly upon its
ripeness. The coffee cherry must be
fully ripe, and freshly picked from the
tree before pulping. The next stage
which requires careful handling is the
curing process. The coffee which COM
mands the highest price is that which
has been the most carefully dried.
This brings out the beautiful green
horn color. and hardness of the berry
so much sought after by dealers.
While I have emphasized the proper
picking and drying as important fac
tors in the handling of coffee, would
not overlook the importance of mill
ing and tanning. 1t is impossible for
the grower. who has inadequate facili-
ties for curing and crude machinery
for hulling, TO properly prepare his cof-
fee for the market From personal in
vestigation, l believe that much hard
labor would be saved, better results
obtained and more money gained by
sending coffee in the parchment to
some central mill for hulling and
cleaning.
All coffee planters will readily agree
that it will be difficult for us to es-
tablish a reputation as a coffee-grow-
ing country if we continue to place
upon the market an inferior product.
Now. the question follows, How shall
we secure a proper standard Of coffee
which will command a high market
price. and at the same time give to
these Islands the premier position
which they deserve among the coffee
growing countries of the world? There
is but one answer.
It is not the object of this article to
deal with methods of inspection, but
TO press the immediate necessity for
the establishment of a board Of in
spectors as imperative, for the fol-
lowing reason: Much coffee of an in
ferior grade is being placed upon the
market as good coffee, thus depreci-
ating the value of that which is really
prime coffee As five bad oranges will
spoil the sale of a whole box of good
oranges. so five pounds of bad coffee
will spoil the sale of a whole bag of
good coffee. or one bag of poor coffee
may destroy the proper value of 20
bags of good coffee. China once con-
troIled the tea markets of the world,
because she produced the finest quail
ties of tea Today she has lost her
prestige and millions of dollars, in
competition with other tea-producing
countries, simply because she lacked
systematic grading and inspection Of
the teas exported, thus permitting an
inferior product to flood the markets
as pure China tea" and thereby in
turing the sale of that which was truly
genuine.
So it will be here. A class of faith
full and earnest planters are straining
every nerve in capital and energy, in
order to make a success of coffee
growing and place a prime article upon
the market. These people should be-
warded for their efforts. But there is
another class of "so-called" planters,
who. through lack of knowledge, or
lack of facilities for handling the
crop. turn a soft, pale, discolored, in
sipid, unripe berry upon the market as
"Kona coffee" or Hawaiian coffee. :"
And what is the result? The whole
coffee industry Of the Islands suffers
in consequence.
This industry promises to be one of
the most important of these Islands.
This being true, it behooves us to
look well to the foundations upon
which we are to build for the future.
Now is the time to move in this mat
ter, while the coffee industry is yet in
its formative stage, and secure the Co
operation of the planters in the vari-
Gus districts of the Islands.
The fact that all the coffee shipped
will be subject to rigid inspection,
will be an incentive to the employ
ment of the best means and methods
to produce a standard grade coffee.
Whereas, if this matter of inspection is
delayed until the plantations are more
fully developed, it will meet with more
or less opposition from those planters
whose output does not meet the neces-
sary- requirements. Let all who are in
terested in the growing or buying and
selling of coffee agitate this question
of inspection, until it is an accom-
plished fact This being done, our cot
fee viii speak for itself in every mar
ket and better prices will be obtained
All lovers of the refreshing cup will
come to know the genuine Hawaiian
coffee by its peculiar subdued, delicate
fragrance. and exhilerating qualities
and will demand it as essential to Their
comfort and refreshment.
J. c. LENHART.
Kailua, North Kona, Hawaii.