The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-06-11

tax. Such information will be very i'm
portant. for there will be champions of
a tax on coffee and some of the strong
est of these champions are likely to be
the standpat Republicans who will well
come any eXpedient that enables them
to divert Congress from a revision of
the tariff.
| BEET AND CANE GROWERS.
J There is considerable gossip here,
too, about the ACCESSIBILITY of bringing
the beet and cane sugar interests, both
on the mainland and in Hawaii, into
closer relations. 1t has been pointed
out recently that if these interests
should combine and present solid
front to Congress- instead of practical
ly fighting one another, they might be
able to stay any legislation favorable
to the production of sugar in the Phil
ippines and at the same time fortify
themselves against the time when Gu
ban sugar will be far greater menace
than it is now to the beet sugar pro-
ducers to the cane growers of Louisi-
ana. and to the cane growers of Ha-
waii.
TAFT PARTY SMALLER.
The predictions of many skeptical
party are gradually being fulfilled, in
that many of the prominent men of
Congress are declining to go on the
long trip Such men as Speaker Can
non and EX-Secretary Root have al
ready announced that they can not
spare three months for a voyage to the
Philippines and back again. Probably
before the date of the sailing many
others will make a similar announce
ment.
/ NEW COFFEE TREES.
! Consul General Richard Guenther, at
Frankfort, Germany, has forwarded
here an interesting report on the dis
covery of new coffee trees in Africa.
His article, as made public by the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor, is
as follows: German papers state that
the French explorer, NJ. ChevaIier, has
discovered three species of the coffee
tree in the Kongo district. Compared
with other coffee plants, one of the
species of these trees has a remarkable
height and yields a very useful fruit.
1t is called by NJ Chevalier ''coffea
eXcelsa," and attains a height of IS
feet, while other species reach the
height of shrubs. 1t is a native of the
forests adjacent to the eastern tribu
taries of the Shari, but has also been
found on the banks of the Bata, a trib-
utary of the Cotto, in the Ubangi
Basin.
| The tree appears to grow at from
1900 to $500 feet above sea level but
does not thrive in lower regions ex-
posed to floods 1t has gray bark with
longitudinal burrows, oblong leaves,
white, fragrant flowers, and bios
Il
fruit is gathered only in the valley of
the Boro within the domain of the
Sultan of Snoussi. Closer investiga-
lions have shown that the tree thrives
best in a soil rich in nitrogen and soda,
but lacking entirely in potash. phos-
phoric acid, and lime. The fruit con-
sists of small grains, resembling in
shape and size certain kinds of coffee
of Abyssinia and Mocha.
In its wild state a 5-year-old tree,
about % feet high. yields about 1,2OO
beans, very rich in caffeine. Tests
made at Harlem showed the new coffee
to be among the best kinds. 1t yields
an infusion of excellent flavor after
roasting, and all the experts who have
tested it have unanimously pronounc-
ed it to be very good medium quality.
The French Government intends TO
make experiments in its KOngo colony
in the cultivation and Improvement of
this wild coffee tree. The natives Of
| Africa harvest the crop in very
reckless manner, climbing the trees,
breaking off branches. and causing the
trees TO die. For this reason Europeans
/ should. as soon as possible. look to the
preservation of this valuable product.
The French will best succeed with
its cultivation. perhaps According to
| the recent treaty tetWeen France and
the Sultan of Snoussi, the Sultan is
required to furnish annually $50 pounds
OF coffee beans from the trees growing
! in his domain
FIBER OF COMMERCE.
Frank Dyer Chester. consul-general
at Budapest. Hungary. has written
here to the Department of Commerce
and Labor with reference to Reed and
| Rush Fiber Bags and Carpets in the
following terms; The family of Rat
| vany-Deutsch. which has hitherto in
terested itself in the production of beet
sugar, is the owner of patents in all