The new era., 1909-04-01
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Coffee derives It's name from the
city Of Kaffa. Abyssinia, In which
country, 1t is believed. the coffee tree
originated Its botanical name Is cof-
fea arabica, as Arabia was the first
country into which 1t was extensively
introduced. II left to grow in its
natural state. a coffee plant may grow
into shrub IA to 18 feet high, having
then long and slender trunk without
branches on the lower part. The plant
has thin and numerous roots, which
grow deep in the earth, having one
central root going straight down. the
length of which depends upon the
height attained by the plant. When
cultivated, however. the shrub is gen.
orally not allowed to grow beyond six
feet in poor sandy soil and eight in rich
soil. This restriction is imposed On
the coffee tree because, when the plant
grows over that height. the difficulties
for cultivating it increase.
The leaves are at first of bright
green color, turning into the olive
shade when they are full grown.
Healthy coffee trees produce, In the
| spring, in the axilla of each leaf. from
! ~ to 16 buds, which soon bloom and
have an exquisite perfume. The beau
ty of coffee plantation is fleeting. as,
on plantation. one may see the trees
in full blossom and two days later the
ground may be covered with white
| flowers. Two or three efflorescences
occur before the buds become COM
pletely ripe The flowers become dark
and wither in two or three days. Dry
weather is better for the plants during
the first days, but when the buds are
becoming consistent the water washes
the petals and discloses numerous
pistils or germs of fruits on which all
depends.
Experience teaches that, when the
pistils look fresh and have whitish
tips. it may be expected that the crop
will be approximately the same as the
number of flowers, but when black
spot is noticed the planter may be
sure that he has lost his crop. This
happens generally when the plant is
not sufficiently strong or is due to an
inopportune rainfall.
1t is when the leaves fall that there
issue from the small stems groups of
seeds at first yellow and coarse to the
touch. When they ripen they begin to
redden until they become the coffee
berries. The bean in its natural state
is convex on the one side and fiat on
the other. There are two seeds in the
ripe berry, side by side, each one COW
cred by delicate silvercolored skin;
then comes cartilaginous membrane
of rough consistence, and afterward
the pulp, which is mucilaginous, sac.
charine. and sometimes agglutinated.
the outer part being covered by the
outer skin.
The coffee bean is prepared by sep
arating it from the pulp which sur
rounds it by means of water and fer
mentation. The hard shell is removed
by mechanical processes. Thus is pro-
duced the coffee bean which is sold in
the market.
The principal coffee-producing coun-
tries of the world, in the order of their
Importance. are Brazil. Venezuela.
Guatemala. Colombia. Nicaragua, Hay
ii, Costa Rica, Dutch East Indies and
British India. The chief coffee import
ing and consuming countries are the
United States, Germany. France. Bel
GUM, Austria Hungary, Turkey. Hol
land and the United Kingdom. The
last named country is remarkable for
the great quantities of coffee which it
re-exports to all parts of the world.
re-exporting, for instance. in 1904. two
thirds Of the 11S, ,1S6,OOO pounds of cof
fee which 1t had imported in that year.
Statistics show that the total guam
tity of coffee delivered in the United
States from all sources last year.
amounted to 929.754 $40 pounds, of
which there were imported from Bra
zil 753,S4O.64S pounds. or somewhat |
over 81 per cent, which was about the |
same proportion a. during 1906-7. The |
deliveries in Europe have remained
stationary for the past two years. or
about 1886. 100000 pounds annually. /
Thus. the total consumption :ss Eu- !