The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-05
COFFEE AND ITS CULTURE.
CHANCES OPEN TO SMALL FARMERS
IN BRIZfI.

''iiV h"N'9 ShN W
printed In the second number OF n little maHa~s
zine called the Brazilian Bulletin. the organ OF
mckenzie College in Brazil. The writer Of
the article was able to learn little Of the early
history of coffee, although 1t has been In use,
at least 1000 years. The very origin of'thea
name by which the little berry is known isp,
Obscure. II has been said that the word anne
from the Arabic kdhtroh, but this Is n doubthaiS
conclusion. as coffee did not originate IN
Arabia. A somewhat better explanation IL that
ittook its name from kafa, n province In Abyss-
sinia, where IL Is found growing In avid statnss
The coffee plant belongs to the genus cofen.H
and is an evergreen. II usually grows fromAT
single shaft. although sometimes ak or eiRhbg
slender trunks, form the plant. Its leaves ar0F
smooth and dark green and the lower Of thoyv
plant are fragrant and white. The berries
themselves. the essential part OF the plant. area
formed in clusters Of from three to twelve ins
number. and have very short stems or none al
all. In size the berries are, when ripe, abouAS
as large as the ordinary cranberry. aud they Q
resemble that fruit rather closely also In shape
and color. In each berry are two little seeds.
each "a little irregular half sphere. surround
ed by q yel!owish. sweet pulp that must be re- q
moved by one process or another. The her,
ries must be polished to put them In shape for
the market. .... q.
Those familiar with the produce markstrs
may remember seeing the expression male.
berry. or pea berry. Sometimes the berr nv coneE
tains only one seed. which is almost round.s
and this seed has taken the name MALE,
Much Of the Mocha coffee Is OF that sort. and 10
Is found in several places to come extent. ..t.
In the several varieties OF coffee there is no
very great difference. and what there is may
be the result OF differences in climate and other 4,
conditions that affect fruits in general. The 4
Co6rd Arabicd. as 1t is known to science. is o.,
shrub from four to eight feet high with ieayssn
n littla broalar fhnp fhpna If tha rapnnno prn.
lillian native plant. The Cofed Liberica lisa
tree in size and appearance and often reaches A.
The height OF thirty feet. The plant can bS
grown anywhere beyond the reach OF frost.
and where there is not excessive dryness or
moisture. 1t thrives best on the steep elopes-
Of mountains, about 1000 feet above the, sea
level. 1t has thrived. on the other hand. on +,
the Brazilian plains and other lands that are
properly drained for the purpose. t
The planter has to wait from three to i've
years before his young trees begin 10 bear to
any extent. The richness Of the ground In =
which the plant Is placed Is an important fac '
tor as to this. The trees. II properly cared for.
will bear good crops for twenty or thirty q,
years. and even longer In many places. In :
many Of the reproducing, countries the
average tree yields only q little more than 9
pound 70 a crop; II FRA Brazil ttt the a. average era yisn Z
The advantage of the brazilian growers. II =,
t6 6Sp Stqseme msd is bS tb 2 Writer Is e ~ ai%sn B qhe
The rapid decline Of coffee planting in The :
West Vest ln l6 esy,o says nnd the @a article G.ho and Iart hss - tG ~ (
East. leave Brazil with but few strong compett; :
tors; Brazil pow:pr9ddpHYes two-thirds' Of dlvs
When one reads Of coffee and its market one
n naas t %a9 aifre eDnlsf xmas ne Of the q beTry 10 ,T afs,s, !,
names refer t9 the place from which the berry d
rs sRRipps6 aion rsae ef!her to al The sh fiS Sefies u u, t shs
Arabian class. The Brazilian Goyernnent9
m iptrTiupa into that country the hest nlanfR.H"
and there are now. large plantations In Bra
I'll ri. where here 1 9%hdpi.d is s sr0Sn a 6us p ot5eI 1sy @S sSlss
netting but the pure Bourbon or the pure :,
Aduiteration Of coffee is "a common prac- p
tice among merchants. An almost endless Va
eredieats used are ehiSory. which is the best
k9@wn a ISdarf corn daPP6S ess in rSo qeai s , DO 6" Sos
contain the caffeine. or theme. the particular- :
f 6eeeasial part tbe ey t are ofs ougd iha los Is p oels 'is f tRS
ground coffee. although some Disciple IT the
,"s1fE e6 nTt@sE Ta aSs OF f9 dSinfb; s business snr d1a .ass
recent reign OF high prices. by moulding a.
s aSss o. Of E the co aRss4 bsrry 1p ana them h lpsS fns r4
it with extract OF the real article, Low prices. L.
h0TM Ss wr GS away givss w bIs6 ad nrafss TO tSe hsaItb.,a
fiul qualities OF coffee. This is what he says:
u uAs e sey inaasns ssff sed Is y thu sssts sDs If I. ss pro-
duees a b%uoyqncy OF feeling with, no unpleas;
%s sas 1Gas'i the l soSy sn sde s eFoIoH 81 aa masea an1
strain. Coffee contains less fannie acid than -.
Tres fss;h eaa ana a2g stjm nGt S,stV While s Il sstsTa: tiss lss y
II the, seed is roasted 70 a :reddish brown dsi-
! rs ner 10 ee ter EFT II Ih In r Tesshn a Is c earnsd q On e VI. "a
til the berry is u dark brown it loses about 2O-S
BDS Sil cent IT re roa xsis9t tR Req ps sSl1s 90 pei 81 S ssnsa aa. .
is lessened and the aroma. increases. This ~
i ns9ma away is a n egIeRiy oH Il ths o. Se fns G9G Rsnt i IonE
Eft ,hs being I6sst E%ps so}1ss se 90 to tp. PgTss7 q cSy thls q %Itsaia
gOna gNhRtanpn. such lS the white OF aQRa. & ~
In Brazil the host tenders 70 q vistt9r the Is
GqP tea Of f IS nfe sasln T 12Gsn c One M Is E epsa 1ar ~ 81
roasted on the spot every time 1t is seryed!fAx
t F9e B Ins,ssa Il fs sfssp h9w t e P pr poTiih the Il dT tEsy
pack the finely, ground berries in q conieal NJ
% SaE ap thr6 pSgb t s%o m alsaEh TRa e' m GG,tnn a real nSi
the write, observes that the Brazilian ee!!-a;
dicted to furnishing quantity rather tha3 anai-
iay so q a"S oro odus1@ef has a Been mas against inst them ans e As
G!r2nmI I with Planters plan oT, in other oopntries.7e
fee ts'i Is II Is cr @Tps Thar w he 's smaii t an 1t%e; w rSe fIS has .
not appeared to any great extent in Brazil. can
e mGs' Of sa from ra $3.50 to Sn io iSG% sGf fsn t sssa,y w sshs +.
he is cultivatinG his corn. rice, beans and other
ire prie. and az co fss,nf was ioF hi his the fastlf Sra Mhils /,
planters ALMOST Invariably raised that Grop sx: i,
S %Rsn ehe r a4a q 5h% Comes lss1 S.st DOWN ssnit the spBs rnaaif..
ian planters were left in the lurch and could@S
n0 wS Es6 t the cS SfnsG area re m n BTa KiEIin l%as 2 5@ss: =
what limited the crop WIS omen 10 the dangers -
OF excessive and sudden changes Of the elf.
matte conditions. Now the areu devoted TO
coffee Is SO ,arRe that no purely local accident
or mishap Gun ruin the crop entirely. and the Z
range of latitude in the area Is 80 great that -
when the coffee plants are hlosSominR In one
part Of Brazil the ripe fruit is gathered In an.
other, Thus the market IL supplied throughout .
the wear. "'
1T Is a singular fact the author says. that e.
while English and German capital has been
attracted t., the coffee industry OF Brazil and i.
large sums have been invested, American cap -
ital and enterprise have not seen this iino .
opening. which Is particularly attractive to
the small farmer. but have been looking up the 6
same thing in the Sandwich Islands aud Next
90. where the conditions are less favorable" .
The Inducements offered TO the small farm.
er OF coffee are attractive. The process Of
laying out n coffee orchard Is described as ~
very Simple, The farmer first cleans the vir-
gin forest bv cutting down the trees in his
way, When, the trees are dry they are burned 2