The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-25
A LEAvENwoRTH BOY.
Gives His Experience With Cofse on
Tehuantepec. Ishtmus

Leavenworth, Jan. 25.-Fred larry, who
returned Saturday from a months So
journ in Vera Cruz, where he visited
some of the largest and best known plan
tations, is a coffee growing enthusiast.
The section he visited is in the south
ern part of the state of Vera Cruz. about
the center of the Isthmus of Tehuante-
The coffee season. said Mr., Tarry,
"opens ABOUT the first week III Dece1n-
dams are the chief Iaborers employed -
The plantation belonging, to the com
pany of which William Small is president.
A. Lange vice president, and c. S. Moak
secretary, contains 1900 acres, of which
which are now four years old Next year
the plantation is expected to be self-sus-
the famous plantation of 1000 acres of
coffee. In one season this property pro-
duces 100000 pounds of the beans:
Americans have the enthusiasm said
Mr.. larry. AT one hotel at which 1
stopped in Vera Cruz there were fifty
countrymen waiting to go to the coffee
lands. The Yankees are successful at
experience than kansas farming or Flor
of common sense The tree is very re,
snonsive to good treatment. You can't
kill it when it once gets started, and if
1T is grown among the foothills and
there must be an elevation Of at least
1000 feet and a. very moist climate. In
this district the season rain all is 10
| inches, though it rained "A days out of
% when I was there in what is termed the
that in one of our northern greenhouses.
Coffee must not be planted on level
ground, for the drainage must be per-
feet so that the plant may not have wet
| feet, as the natives say. These small
| hills are called Tomas and are what the
Kansas farmer would call hog back
| There are usually 240 trees planted to an
acre, and this among the tropical trees
| of that land Overhead is heavy. foliage.
| but beneath the ground must be kept
| clean"
The blossom of the coffee tree is pure
| white and resembling a tube rose, only it
| is smaller but the formation is very SINH
| lar. The leaf is a dark rich green and
| the berry a bright red, resembling cram
berry The clusters of berries grow along
| the stem.
The process of preparing the coffee for
| market, according to Mr.. larry, is rather
complicated, though it does not require
great skill
The first thing to be done he ex-
planned lis to place the berries in a tank
| berries will float and become third class
| coffee later. Good berries will sink. The
| second class coffee is composed of the
smaller beans. Then the berries are put
| into the pulper, after which they are
placed in the dryer for twenty-four hours,
| then hulled and finally sorted. The hulls,
which retain a coffee flavor, are ground
and form a cheap coffee for market.
| The pea berry makes the highest
priced coffee 1t is formed in one grain
| instead of two, but has the strength and
1.-The average life of q tree is twenty
| five years. At the age of eight years it
| usually reaches its full productiveness of
| from four to ten pounds A four year
| old tree bears about half a pound.
we are going to plant cocoa, vanilla
/ and rubber trees. The cocoa grows wild.
to pick The rubber tree at the age of
| five years produces half a pound of rub
Der and is tapped, as is the maple tree.
l The cocoa or chocolate bean' grows in a