The Hawaiian gazette., 1898-04-26

qualities, not grades, of coffee, viz.
pea berry and fiat bean.
Of course, through ignorance OF
carelessness, it is quite possible, in the
process Of pulping, washing and fer
menting, ETC., to so smash up and dis
color the bean, that the percentage
left which would realize II cts. per
pound would be very small, and the
balance, would range all the way
down to 6 cts. per pound. Please re-
member however, Mr.. Editor, that this
could never happen in the hands OF
the ever present experienced man"
The word grade is a wrong term to
use in connection with plantation
coffee, as it designates one quality in
ferior to another. After the parch-
ment has been subjected to the hull
ling and polishing process, it is passed
through what is known as a separating
machine, which Classics the coffee &C
cording to size; a very different thing
from grading it.
One of the most improved and mod
ern machines for this purpose makes
the following classifcations, viz:
Dust, small and broken beans, small
pea berries, large fiat beans, large pea
berries and malformed beans.
Leaving out the dust, broken and
malformed beans we would have two
sizes of pea berry and two sizes of
fiat bean; but one classification for pea
berry is all that would be necessary.
Now all the above samples would re
present coffee of a superior quality
and there could be no such thing as
a drop from II cts. to cts. per pound
for any one of them. They would all
command top prices provided they be
sent to the proper markets, as l shall
shortly illustrate.
The word grade" therefore, signi-
flying an inferior and superior quality
of coffee cannot be applied to Plan
tation."
If you were to pick up 80 bags of
Kona coffee from various ports along
this coast, then your argument would
hold good for you would probably find
as many grades in the true sense of
the word; from the fact of the numer-
Gus and varied methods employed in
their preparation.
A coffee tree therefore, produces
sound and unsound beans; and not as
you would infer, like a child's Christ
mas tree, loaded with an assortment
of articles a few at a high figure, but
the majority of small value. The sound
beans represent the crop, and as l
have already said, in the hands of the
experienced man, will turn out coffee
of a superior quality. 1t is classified
into two or three sizes in order thai
the best juices may be a realized for
each lot, in the different markets
where such are in demand For in
stance pea berry fetches a high prices
in Mincing Lane or the London mar
ket; while in San Francisco it is on
par with ordinary coffee Again thu
London market calls for a large bold
bean of a uniform size and color;
whereas in the American market the
smaller bean is just as highly appre-
ciated.
The foregoing are some of the facts
connected with the value of coffee.
which the tenderfoot ought to know;
but which apparently, neither you
MIR. Editor, nor a good many more in
these Islands are aware of.
In submitting THE following quota
lions from correspondence, have held
with parties aboard on the value of
coffee, withhold all names, as l have
not requested permission to publish
tn same. / can vouch for the auuhori-
ties as being genuine, and can show
the original letters to any responsible
gentleman in Honolulu if desired.
''San Francisco, July 25, 1894.
The samples you mailed us of this
date, are certainly very fine, the best
we have ever seen of fKona' coffee; in
fact believe the only cultivated Kona'
that has ever come under our notice.
We would be pleased to handle. in any
way that would be mutually agree
able, all the coffee that you may have
this, or any coming year. 1t must
take its place in competition with Cen
trail American coffee of equal appear
ance, until such time as consumers
shall become convinced of its merits.
Ourselves we know it to be worth
more money than any Central Ameri-
can coffee by considerable. A few
consumers are also aware of the same
TACT, but not sufficient to warrant any
trade except in a small way
tThe above is from a large well
known house who handle tons of
coffee)
San Francisco, July 8, 1894.
Judging from the small quantity
OF shelled coffee submitted among
others; the quality at least ranks with
the very best Central Americans; and
II on the spot would today fetch about
Y cts. for the first separation, about
the same figure for the pea berry. and
proportionallty lower for the seconds