Chapter V (2)

It is difficult to state what recompense the native cultivator of coffee receives in Java for his services and his product, the complicated system of accounts which prevails there seem only calculated to puzzle or mystify the investigator and allow the Dutch commissary to derive an income of from eighty to one hundred thousand dollars per annum at the expense of the government by whom he is employed, on the one hand, and that of the natives whom he oppresses, on the other. Latterly, however, it has been directed that the cultivators should receive, on delivery at the government storehouses, “three rix-dollars (copper) for each “mountain” picul (225 pounds) of coffee, being very little more than one dollar per hundred, while this same coffee has frequently been sold in Batavia, within fifty miles of the spot where it was raised, at twenty dollars per hundred, and has been seldom sold in the European or American markets at less than twenty cents per pound. It is, also, difficult to fix the exact rate at which the coffee might be produced under the free system, but that it can be raised for exportation at ten dollars per hundred with profit is beyond doubt. The price paid the natives, however, is deemed liberal by the Dutch government, though in many cases it has to be transported over sixty miles of an almost impassible country, where two men are required to carry a hundred pounds of coffee on their shoulders and at an expense of labor which one would suppose at least equal to the remuneration.

All the available mountain slopes on the island of Java are literally covered with coffee plantations, owned and operated by the Dutch government, which assigns to each Javanese family the cultivation and care of from 600 to 1,000 trees under severe penalties, the natives being compelled to deliver their crops, hulled and cleaned, to the nearest government stores at the end of the harvest, accepting in return whatever price the government is pleased to put on it. Considerable coffee is, however, cultivated by the natives themselves, independently of that raised directly for the government, being chiefly grown along the borders of the government plantations and other unused patches, as well as along the fences around their farms, being generally raised in the shade; the berry of some of this coffee attains a high excellence rivalling if not actually excelling the government product in many instances.

A considerable portion of the peasantry having--as already observed--been long accustomed to the cultivation of coffee, it is owing to their skill and experience that the coffee owes its excellence as much as to any direct knowledge, superintendence or interference of the Dutch officials, who derive their information from the natives, having little more to do than occasionally ride around the plantations with a pompous suite, keep the accounts and examine the coffee, as it is received from the cultivators. The plantations are generally laid out in squares, the distances between the plants varying according to the fertility of the soil, that is, in a soil not considered fertile, a distance of six feet is preserved, and in each interval is planted a “dadap” tree for the purpose of affording shade to the plants; while in a rich soil where the plant grows more luxuriantly, fewer shade trees are required and the plants are placed at greater distances from each other. But in Java, a certain degree of shade appears to be necessary at all times to the health of the coffee plant, especially during its earlier stages, and in low situations, for which purpose the dadap tree is found to be better calculated for affording this protection than any other kind in the country, it being a common saying on that island that “where the dadap flourishes, there also will flourish coffee.” But it must not be inferred from this that they are always constant or even necessary companions, for in the highlands many of the most flourishing plantations are to be observed with but very few dadaps in the vicinity.

Coffee is cultivated for commercial use in all of the twenty-two residencies into which the island is divided, including Bantam, Batavia, Bezoeki, Bagelen, Banjoewanjie and Banjoemas, Cheribon, Japara, Kadoe, Kediri and Krawang, Madioen, Rembang, Preanger, Probolingo, Passoeren and Pekalongan, Soerabaya, Soerakarta and Djokjakarta, Bali, Timour, Malang and Samarang, each of which residencies or districts containing from five to fifty plantations, by which they are further distinguished. In trade they are generally divided into “Government” and “Free Coffees,” the free cultivation being now permitted in the residencies of Bantam, Cheribon and many other of the Eastern districts. And, as with the coffees of all other countries, the product of the different districts of Java varies considerably in quality and value, many of them possessing a richness and mellowness not approached by that of any other country; others, again, being so inferior that were it not for the fact of being grown on that island they would not be deserving of the name.

=Bantam and Batavia=--Are medium-sized, yellowish in color, regular and uniform in appearance, roasting and drinking exceeding well, being generally clean and free from quakers.

=Bagalen and Bezoeki=--Are rather bold and plump in style, rich yellow in color, solid and compact in form, full in body and fragrant in flavor, ranking with the best of the Java growths.

=Banjoewanjie and Banjoemas=--While not plentiful sorts, rarely coming to this market, being principally shipped to Holland, where they are much appreciated for their great strength and rich flavor, are medium-sized, heavy and round in body, creamy and fragrant in the cup.

=Cheribon and Japara=--Are rather light in weight and color, inclined to be “chaffy” in the natural state and “quakery” in the roasted, but nevertheless yield a pleasing and palatable liquor on infusion.

=Kadoe and Kediri=--Are small, hard-bean coffees, approaching brown, and usually good drinkers, being a favorite in the European market, where they rank high commercially.

=Rembang and Krawang=--Rank next to Kadoe in general cup qualities, but are somewhat irregular in the raw state, roasting and drinking well, however.

=Preanger and Probolingo=--The soil of these districts being pre-eminently adapted for the cultivation of fine coffees, they are noted for their products. The bean is round, full and well developed, high-yellow in color, but assuming a rich-brown with age, firm and regular in style, rich, mellow and creamy in liquor, fragrant and aromatic in flavor, rivalling the best product of Arabia itself.

=Passoeren and Pekalongen=--Rank next to Preanger, being usually brown, regular and uniform, full in body, round in flavor and as a general rule very fragrant, particularly when the crop is good.

=Madioen and Soerabaya=--Belong to the yellow-bean class, and are rather light in weight and body but pleasing and agreeable in the cup, approximating to a fine Cucuta Maracaibo in form, liquor and general characteristics.

=Soerakarta and Djokjakarta=--Are among the best of the Java growths, large, heavy and well-developed in bean, handsome and attractive in the roasted state, yielding a rich golden-yellow liquor, creamy in body and aromatic in flavor.

=Bali and Timoor=--Are grown on the small islands to the south of Java, and though fair in size and quite brown in color, are nevertheless deceptive in roasting and drinking qualities.

=Malang and Samarang=--Are light in weight and in color, somewhat chaffy in the natural state and “quakery” in the roasted, thin, flat and flavorless in liquor.

OTHER VARIETIES.

=Old Government Java=--Is a trade term applied to coffee grown and stored under the supervision of the officers of the Dutch government, and in contradistinction to that raised by the natives, but is now an almost obsolete term. It is produced principally in the Preanger district, where the greatest care and attention is bestowed on its cultivation and curing, its cultivation never being entirely entrusted to the natives; the primary object of the government officials being to improve the berry and enhance its value to the exclusion of increased quantity. After being picked and cured, it is stored in “go-downs” or storehouses for a number of years, frequently seven, before being offered for sale, the go-downs being erected expressly for the purpose, being open at the sides so as to admit the sun and air in order to mature and season the coffee, which, like wine, improves with age, the bean assuming with time a dark-brown color and the flavor becoming richer and more mellow by the development of the volatile or essential oil contained in the beans. By prolonged keeping in the raw state it is found that the richness of any seeds in this peculiar oil is increased, and with increased aroma the coffee yields a blander and more mellow beverage. Stored coffees, for this reason, lose weight at first with great rapidity, sometimes as much as 8 per cent. having been found to dissipate in the first year of keeping, 5 per cent. in the second and 2 per cent. in the third; but such loss of weight is more than compensated for by the improvement in quality and consequent enhancement of value. Old Government Java is for this reason celebrated for its superior excellence, and justly deserving of its high repute. Latterly, however, the term has been indiscriminately used and applied to all Java coffees of a brown color, irrespective of age, grade or district of production and has thereby ceased to possess any real significance as implying any extra merit or superiority over the average run of Java coffees. The natural bean of the true Old Government Java Coffee is large, round and well developed, of a rich brown color, exceedingly regular and uniform in general appearance and entirely free from defects of any kind, while the infusion is round and heavy in body, creamy, mellow and fragrant in flavor, surpassing in general “cup qualities” that of any other variety grown. All coffees raised under the supervision of the government are disposed of through the agency of the “Netherlands’ Maatschappy,” or Trading Company, at the periodical (quarterly) auction sales held in Batavia or Amsterdam, the sales occurring in the months of March, June, September and December. It is offered for sale only in limited quantities--from one to two hundred picul lots--no purchaser being permitted to buy more at a single bidding, the prices varying at each sale, being regulated by the quantity offered and the number of orders received by the agents or brokers to buy, so that parties purchasing two or more lots cannot calculate what the average cost will be until the sale is ended.

=Plantation=--Or “Private Growth Javas,” are so termed from being grown on plantations owned and operated by private or individual planters, and in contradistinction to that raised under government supervision. Being grown from selected seed, under the best agricultural conditions and scientific cultivation, it produces a quality of coffee that cannot be surpassed for size, style, color, regularity and general intrinsic merit. It is also marketed differently from the government system, being disposed of by contract or tender, that is, as soon as the quantity and quality of the crop can be estimated, the planters issue a circular letter or note to the principal firms of Batavia and to the representatives of European and American houses, informing them of the facts and soliciting bids for the entire crop. Proposals are received and the coffee sold to the highest bidder; but if, according to the planter’s views, the offers are too low, he claims the right to reject them and hold the coffee for a better market. If accepted the coffee is carefully picked over, assorted and transported to the shipping port by the planter and delivered in bulk, the purchaser furnishing his own bags and marks, the coffees being of such high repute and quality they sell high, there being great competition to obtain them. Many of these plantations were in existence prior to the introduction of the government monopoly system, or are situated on the estates of the native princes, who have been permitted to retain some portion of their sovereign privileges.

=Liberian-Java=--Is the product of a transplant of the Liberian species introduced into the island about ten years ago, where it was found to prosper well and vigorously; a great demand springing up for its seed, the cultivation increasing and yielding a bean much larger than that produced by the parent plant, full and well developed, yellow to brown in color, concave in form and closely resembling “Padang” in liquor and flavor.

=W.I.P.=--Or “West India Prepared” Java is so termed from being pulped and prepared by the “Washed” or West India process, being also known to trade as “Blue-bean Java.” The raw bean is bold, regular and bluish-green in color, hard and solid in substance, heavy, rich and flavory in liquor. Some authorities, however, contend that this new process is detrimental to the coffee, claiming that by the old or “dry-hulled” method the bean retained all the properties of the coffee to a much greater degree, whereas by the new process, considerable of the active principle (caffeine) is carried off in the washing.

=Loeke or “Tiger-cat Java”=--Is a variety of Java coffee highly prized for the intrinsic merits imparted to it by a peculiar process. It is composed simply of the undigested beans which have passed through the intestinal canal of the “Loeke,” a small species of tiger found in Java, which, climbing the trees, selects the ripest and richest of the berries, feeds on them, swallowing both pulp and beans, the latter being left in the jungle and afterwards collected by the natives. It is analogous to the “Monkey coffee” of Brazil and the “Jackal coffee” of India, the excellent qualities of which is due to the chemical process which the beans undergo in the stomach of the animal that has stolen them, the appreciation of such stercoraceously deposited beans by the natives being an undoubted fact. The bean is large and bold, but whitish in color, heavy, round and creamy in body, exceedingly fragrant and aromatic in flavor and not excelled by that of any coffee grown or known to commerce.

At the time of shipment all Java coffees are of a light-green shade unless--as in the case of government and other coffees--they have been previously stored for the purpose of seasoning or to await a better market. During the long voyage through the tropics the bean gradually changes to a deep-yellow, and finally to a dark-brown, particularly if the voyage be materially lengthened, as it frequently is; the darker the color becomes the more valuable the coffee on arrival. This distinctive feature being characteristic of Java coffees only, no other variety acquiring this color except by artificial means. Color is the standard of value and the principal consideration in appraising its price in the American market, there being a wide difference made in the values of “Pale,” “Yellow” and “Brown” Java coffees in favor of the latter. As stated before, by being stored for a certain length of time, Java coffees improve in quality, the bean becoming browner and the flavor more mellow, probably in the same manner as wine. The moisture evaporates from the bean and the aciduous, astringent taste, of the young, new bean is entirely dissipated and lost by the process, which, by becoming thoroughly dry and seasoned, enhances its value commercially. Yet color cannot always be taken as an indication of age or genuineness, as much of the coffee offered under the head of Brown Java at the present time is nothing more than Malang and other varieties “sweated,” and colored by a steaming process or artificially faced with a preparation of kaolin or soapstone. Again if this feature of turning brown with time, were always an indication of age, it may be taken for granted that “Brown Javas,” possessed finer roasting and drinking qualities, than the “Light” or Yellow-bean varieties, but it is an acknowledged fact that this brown color, even when natural, neither adds or detracts from its value in the cup. Practically the demand for “Brown Java” coffee is but an American caprice, enhancing its commercial value from two to three cents per pound beyond its intrinsic worth; this caprice being also directly responsible for the immense amount of other so-called Java coffees that are annually sweated and colored to imitate or counterfeit the naturally colored and genuine kinds. While in Europe the yellow-colored coffees are preferred to the brown, being quite as good, if not superior, to them, and less liable to manipulation.

Java coffees are packed for export in bags containing one picul (133 pounds) when intended for the European markets, and in mats of one-half picul for the American, the latter style being preferred in this country. In the European markets they are classed as “Green,” “Pale-green,” “Greenish” and “Extra-green” when new, but as “Yellow,” “Dark-yellow,” “Light-brown” and “Brown” when old, grading in the order named. While in the United States they are generally classed as “Light,” “Yellow” and “Brown,” according to color, the packages being usually marked with the initials of the importer, underneath which is a letter or letters denoting the district or plantation where grown. The average annual production is about 100,000,000 pounds, of which 30,000,000 pounds is produced on private plantations.

SUMATRA COFFEES.

Sumatra known to the Arabians as _Srimata_ (“the happy”), lies to the northwest of Java, being separated only from it by the narrow Sunda strait, and is much richer in products than the latter island. The coffee-plant was first introduced into Sumatra from Java, by the Dutch, in the latter part of the eighteenth century, but its cultivation made little or no progress on that island until about the year 1800, when measures were taken by the government to promote and stimulate its production there, since which period there has been a rapid increase in its output. The system of coffee cultivation is nearly identical with that in Java, each native family being furnished with seed by the government on condition that they keep in good bearing order not less than 650 trees, the crop, “if up to standard,” being purchased by the government, that is, _taken_, at an arbitrarily _fixed_ price. The coffee, after being inspected and accepted, is stored in go-downs or warehouses adjacent to the districts of growth, until a sufficient quantity has been collected, when it is transported to the ports of Padang or Benkoolen, where, after being duly advertised, it is sold at auction, under the immediate supervision of the officers of the Dutch government, the sales being held quarterly during the months of March, June, September and December, as in Batavia and Amsterdam. Latterly, however, the cultivation of coffee in Sumatra has been further encouraged by the government leasing or selling coffee-lands to independent planters, the product of such plantations being termed “Free coffee,” in contradistinction to that raised with restrictions by the natives, such coffees being sold only by tenders, as in Java.

Like Java, Sumatra is geographically divided into a number of districts politically termed “Residencies,” under Dutch control, the coffee-producing districts comprising Painan, Padang, Palembang, Ankola, Ayerbanjies and Mandheling, grading relatively in the order named.

=Painan=--Is a medium-sized bean brownish in color, hard, solid and regular in appearance, generally clean and well prepared, and though fairly heavy in body and pungent in flavor is yet devoid of the mellowness and fragrance which characterize Sumatra sorts in general, but is still superior in many respects to a number of the Java growths.

=Padang=--Known to trade generally as “Interior” from being raised in a somewhat desultory manner by the natives on government lands, in the Padang plateau or highlands of the interior, which furnishes the largest quantity. Padang or Interior coffees are not, as a rule, as stylish or uniform as the other district growths, owing to careless cultivation and the primitive methods of preparation in use by the natives. Yet, notwithstanding these drawbacks, Interior coffees frequently comprise invoices rivalling in roasting and drinking qualities many of the regularly cultivated district coffees, and at all times far outrank the average of the Java product. The raw bean as a rule is of fair proportions, but very irregular in general appearance, fairly uniform, and though lacking in the style and finer qualities of the plantation grades, is nevertheless strong, rich and fragrant in the cup, possessing a characteristic flavor entirely their own.

=Palembang=--Differs from Padang both in size, style, color and drink, being smaller in bean, lighter in color, but stronger and more pungent in liquor, and not, as a general rule, as highly valued, except when the crop is good.

=Ankola=--Ranks among the finest of the Sumatra sorts in point of size, color and general character, the natural bean being round, full and firm, rich dark-brown in color, bright and mellow in liquor, and very fragrant if not aromatic in flavor, and much superior in every respect to the best of the Java growths, excepting alone that produced in the Preanger district.

=Ayerbanjies=--Is closely allied to Ankola in all its leading features of size, color, structure and character, being classed commercially as on an entire parity with it, commanding the same price, and frequently substituted for it when the former is scarce or difficult to obtain.

=Mandheling=--Is without exception the finest of the Sumatra products, and is valued high commercially, not alone for its undisputed intrinsic merits, but also on account of the comparatively small amount produced, forming only about ten per cent. of the entire product of the island. The bean is much larger, almost as large as Liberian, of a rich dark, natural-brown color, round, full, well developed and symmetrical in form, very stylish and attractive in the roasted state, and equalling, if not positively surpassing, the much-vaunted Old Government Java itself.

=Lahat=--Is another of the Sumatra varieties, but not deserving of being classed with them. Being of lowland growth, the bean, while large, is flat in shape, whitish in color, and chaffy in substance, approaching a Malang in general contour. It is invariably “quakery” in the roast, flat in liquor, insipid in flavor, or more correctly, almost devoid of “cup” qualities.

Sumatra coffees, in general, possess a peculiarly characteristic flavor in the raw or natural state, described by some dealers as “musty,” but claimed to be acquired in transit through the tropics, the coffee sweating in the hold of the vessel during the long voyage. Certain it is, however, that this mustiness, or whatever it may be termed, enhances rather than detracts from the value or flavor of the coffee. And, more singular to add, Sumatra forms nine-tenths of the coffee imported and sold in the United States under the head of Java, being preferred to the latter by the American dealers in general, on account of its usually dark-brown color and distinctive “musty” flavor. The annual product, like that of all other countries, varies materially from various and obvious causes, both in quantity and quality, the average annual export being about 20,000,000 pounds, of which the United States takes upwards of 75 per cent., the product of “Free” or private plantation coffee forming about one-fifth of the annual yield. It is packed in grass mats, and shipped from the port of Padang, when purchased for account in the United States, and from Benkoolen, in the north, when intended for the European market.

CELEBES COFFEES

Are grown in the Dutch island of that name, situated to the northeast of Java, the coffee plant being introduced there from Java as far back as 1750, but except where Dutch influence was felt little or no attention was paid to it by the native races until about 1822, when it was discovered by the Dutch rulers that the soil of the mountain sides was admirably adapted to the cultivation of fine coffees and a system established which stimulated the native chiefs to foster the industry and undertake the management of coffee plantations. A law was subsequently enacted by the Dutch government, however, compelling the native princes to direct the total annihilation of the cultivation of coffee in their dominions and to secure by treaty with them the destruction and confiscation of all coffee found in the hands of the natives. The island is divided into thirteen districts, in nearly all of which more or less coffee is produced. The principal coffees being known to commerce as Menado, Bonthyne and Macassar.

=Menado=--Produced in the district of Minnahassa situated in the extreme north of the island, is not only the finest grown on that island, but, also excels the best products of both Java and Sumatra. The bean is uniformly large and regular, of a rich dark-yellow color, solid and heavy in weight, magnificent in the roast, creamy and aromatic to a high degree in the cup. It is claimed to possess the “highest standard of excellence,” no other variety containing the same all-round qualities of size, style, color, liquor, flavor and aroma to the same extent. The supply, however, is very limited, and is generally shipped to Holland, where it commands a price in accordance with its merits, but rarely reaching the United States.

=Bonthyne=--Is medium in size, flat in form, reddish in color, inferior in roast and flavor, and not a desirable sort by any means.

=Macassar=--Is the poorest of the Celebes sorts, closely resembling Lahat and Malang, and on a parity with them in appearance, character and value.

=Singapore Javas.=--What are known to commerce as “Singapore Java Coffees” are not produced on that island, which, although lying directly in the coffee zone, produces little or no coffee, except small quantities of the Liberian species, which has recently been introduced there. 90 per cent. of the coffee shipped from Singapore is chiefly composed of the products of Bali, Timour, the Mollucas and smaller Sunda islands, its position making it the only _entrepot_ for the commerce of the entire archipelago. The coffees are usually small in size, reddish in color, irregular in grade and inferior in quality, being generally produced from wild or carelessly cultivated plants, and also possessing a peculiar spicy or “peppery” flavor, said to be contracted from being imported with cargoes of pepper, but more probably from being grown in the vicinity of pepper plantations in the Spice islands. Formerly these coffees were marketed under their true titles, but as their character became known they were palmed off as Padang and other district Javas, to the detriment of the latter.

The systematic cultivation of the Liberian species of coffee was commenced about ten years ago in Siam, Malacca and many of the smaller islands of Malaysia, where it was found to prosper so well at first that the demand for Liberian seed became very great. But after a fair trial it does not seem to have been a great success, what little is produced in these new districts being generally classed as “Jahore Liberian” coffee.

POLYNESIAN COFFEES

Embrace Phillipine, Borneo, Guinea, Fijian, Samoan, Hawaiian, Australian, New Zealand, and other islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

=Phillipine Coffees.=--Opinions differ as to whether the coffee plant is indigenous to the Phillipine Islands or only exotic there, some authorities declaring that it was first brought there by Spanish priests from the Malay. Others again claiming that the plant was found in a wild state in the island of Luzon prior to its introduction, but that the natives, being ignorant of its properties, allowed the fruit to decay on the trees. Be this as it may, coffee thrives there remarkably well, the product possessing a peculiarly rich flavor, for which it is highly esteemed on the continent of Europe, and, although it is by no means well prepared or uniform, the worst grades bring a higher price there than the Java growths, the value on the spot exceeding the current rates for the latter in the foreign markets, and is generally classed as “Luzon,” “Manilla” and “Zamboango,” from the ports of shipment.

=Luzon=--Is a small-bean variety, hard and flinty in texture, rich and aromatic in the infusion, but poorly or indifferently cleaned or prepared, for which causes it is not as well appreciated as it deserves.

=Manilla=--Is principally produced on the islands of Indan, Laguna, Batangas and Cavité, its price on the spot varying from twenty to twenty-two dollars per picul. The bean is medium in size, regular in form, and pale-green in color, perfect in roast and aromatic in flavor.

=Zamboango=--Comes chiefly from Mindano and the southern islands generally. The bean is much larger than that of Manilla, yellowish-white in color, but somewhat flabby in texture, and containing much extraneous matter, being poorly prepared, while the liquor is thin, flat and apt to be wild or “grassy” in flavor.

Recently the natives have planted patches of coffee in the islands of Cebu and Bohol, small quantities of which have appeared in the European markets, some also being secured from the islands of Yligan and Amboyana. The area of land under coffee cultivation in the Phillipines, and the amount of coffee raised annually is not definitely known, as the plantations are widely scattered over the islands of the archipelago, but is usually estimated at about 10,000,000 pounds. The largest plantations are situated in the province of Batangas in the island of Luzon, but considerable coffee is also produced independently by the natives in small plots which they sell to speculators, who hold it until they make up a fair-sized shipment, collected in this manner, from the neighboring islands. The increase in production, however, has been marked during the past five years, from about 10,000,000 pounds in 1888, to over 16,000,000 pounds in 1893, about 6,000,000 pounds coming direct to this country, the remainder being taken by Spain, France and Continental Europe generally.

=Borneo Coffee.=--The Liberian plant has been recently introduced into Borneo on a small scale, where it has been found to thrive well but producing a bean greatly modified in size, color and flavor of the original species. It is much smaller, not as convex or brown, but smoother and more pleasing, if anything, in the drink.

=Guinea Coffee.=--Rapid strides are being made in the cultivation of coffee in New Guinea, the product ranking with the average of the mild grades of the older countries.

=Samoan Coffee.=--The coffee plant has been in existence here for some years, and though thriving luxuriantly, and the soil and climate being well adapted, it has never been scientifically treated, and as a consequence is not as yet an article of commerce.

=Fijian Coffee.=--Some coffee of fair quality was exported from these islands as early as 1877, the industry making but little progress there since that time, notwithstanding the fact that the islands possess abundant facilities for the production of a superior variety. Several of the most wealthy and enterprising planters are now, however, engaged in its cultivation, and it is expected soon to become one of the chief exports of those islands. The bean is medium sized, green in color, as with all new coffees, and, owing to improper curing, somewhat grassy in flavor.

=Hawaiian Coffee.=--Coffee has been cultivated in Hawaii and other islands of that group with considerable success for many years past, although the production has varied greatly there. The first plantations formed in the island were only a few feet above sea-level, to which fact is attributed the failure or rather slow progress of the industry there. New plantations at higher elevations have recently been established, from which better returns are expected. They are classified, and known to trade as Puna, Hilo, Kona and Hamakua, of which Kona is the finest, the others varying in size, color and flavor. The exports have declined from 415,000 pounds in 1870, which in 1885 fell to as low as 1,675 pounds, but for 1892 it had again increased to 13,000 pounds, the total exports since 1881 amounting to 215,782 pounds.

=Australian Coffee.=--Coffee has been found to prosper well in Queensland, a yield of over 600 pounds per acre being obtained there so far and selling in Brisbane at twenty cents per pound, the smaller farmers finding it paying better than corn or potatoes. Efforts are also being made to introduce the industry into New Zealand and other of the Antipodean colonies. This list does not by any means exhaust the possible spots or sections in Polynesia where coffee is or may be grown with the greatest advantage, touching only the chief centres of the industry, and as suggesting some eligible sites for the extension of the planting enterprise. Fair quantities of coffee being also produced in the Hebrides, Society, Friendly and many other of the island groups in the South Pacific Ocean.

AMERICAN COFFEES.

As previously stated, the history of the first introduction of the coffee plant into the American continent is as romantic as it is interesting. In 1714 the magistrates of Amsterdam presented to Louis XIV a specimen of the coffee tree, which was carefully nursed in one of the botanic gardens of Paris, until it eventually yielded fruit. In 1717 the French king sent several of the shoots from it to the island of Martinique in care of one De Clieux, an officer in the French naval service. The voyage being long and stormy, the ship’s crew were reduced to a short allowance of water; for lack of which essential all but one of the young plants died. De Clieux to save this remaining slip shared with it his own scanty allowance, eventually succeeding in bringing it safely to its destination. From this single plant thus heroically preserved, according to De Tour, was propagated the numerous varieties now to be found in the West Indies, Mexico, Central, and the northern countries of South America. And where, notwithstanding the fact that Coffee is indigenous to the Old World it has evidently found its true habitat in the New, its production at the present being many times greater than in the East; its cultivation also constantly and immensely increasing there.

The climatic and topographic conditions of the American continent are pre-eminently adapted to the cultivation of fine coffees, the great mass of coffee lands, consisting of an elevated plateau formed by an expansion of the Cordilleras from which terraced slopes descend with a more or less rapid inclination towards both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This vast tract comprises one of the richest and most varied zones of the world, for while its geographical position secures to it a tropical vegetation, the rapid differences of elevation which characterize it afford it the advantages of more temperate climates, thus combining within its borders an almost unparalleled exuberance and multiplicity of natural products, lands favorable to the cultivation of coffee being found not only on the entire Andean range but also on its sea and land slopes from Mexico to Paraguay. While in addition to these immense stretches of mountain range, the plant is also found to flourish in the numerous valleys and plains of the interior of the continent, and wherever the great tablelands of the Cordilleras are sufficiently depressed to reach the level of tropical vegetation.

American Coffees are geographically divided into Mexican, West Indian, Central and South American, and, as with the products of the Old World, the commercial divisions and subdivisions of the numerous varieties are based rather on the districts of production and the ports of export than upon any great material difference in the appearance or even quality of the various kinds produced.

MEXICAN COFFEES.

It is also a fact not generally known to Americans that at our very doors there exists the climatic conditions and capacity for the production of all the coffee that is required for consumption in the United States, the area adapted to the cultivation of coffee in Mexico being almost illimitable, and bounded only by the extent of land brought under cultivation. Its suitability as a coffee-producing country has been tested by more than fifty years of experience, and that it has not heretofore assumed first place in point of production, exportation, and the rank to which the merit of its product entitles it, is to be attributed to the same causes that have so long retarded its other agricultural and commercial developments. But while coffee is chiefly produced for export only in the States of Vera Cruz, Oaxaca, Michacoan, Colima, Chiapas, Jalisco and Tabasco, excellent coffee is also grown on the plains of the interior as far north as Sinaloa, as well as in the coast States from Yucatan to Tamaulipas. They are commercially classified as Oaxaca, Cordova, Urupuan, Tepic, Tabasco, Soconusco and Caracolillo, varying materially in size, style and quality.

=Oaxaca=--Is a “Sierra,” or mountain coffee, large, bold and blue when new, but bleaching with time. It is one of the best of the Mexican varieties, being regular in roast, heavy in body, strong and rich in flavor and aroma.

=Cordova.=--Grown in the State of Vera Cruz, is usually a large yellow-bean coffee, from which fact it is sometimes termed “Mexican Java.” It makes a handsome roast, yielding a round, full liquor, approaching to that of a fine Maracaibo or medium Java.

=Urupuan=--Produced in the State of Michacoan is also a mountain grade, rather small in size, greenish-blue in color but somewhat irregular in appearance, not being well prepared. In flavor it is, however, high and fragrant, approximating most to that of a Plantation Ceylon.

=Tepic=,--or “Mexican Mocha,” grown in the State of Jalisco is claimed to be a transplant of the Arabian berry, which has by careful and scientific cultivation been so improved in flavor and aroma as to rival, if not actually excel, the product of the parent plant. The natural bean is exceedingly small, hard and “flinty” in texture, steel-blue in color, faultless in roast, rich and creamy in body and highly aromatic in flavor. The supply being limited it is rarely exported, being principally consumed in the district of production, where it commands a very high price, selling on the spot for as much as one dollar per pound.

=Tabasco=--Is a coast-grown coffee cultivated in the hot, moist low-lands of the Campeachy gulf, and is the poorest of the Mexican varieties. The bean is of a sickly-green hue, medium in size, and moist or “spongy” in substance, bitter and astringent in flavor, and taken altogether a most undesirable sort for any purpose.

=Soconusco=--Produced in Chiapas, close to the rich coffee lands of Guatemala is another high-grade coffee, ranking among the finest of the Mexican varieties. It is a large, mature bean, varying in color, according to age, from a bluish-green to a pale-yellow, full and round in body, ripe and mellow in flavor as a rule.

=Colima=--Raised on the west coast is a medium-sized bean, flat in form, fairly solid, but varying in color from greenish to pale, even in roast, rather round in liquor and pleasing in flavor, and generally shipped to the Pacific States.

=Caracolillo=--or “Mexican pea-berry,” is a concave-convex bean, grown on the new wood at the end of branches of trees that are pruned year after year; but though not confined to any particular species, such trees yield almost entirely male or pea-berry coffee, being the only instance on record, and is considered the fanciest grade grown in Mexico.

Mexico possesses more and better coffee lands than many other countries where it is now extensively grown, a small proportion of which only are under cultivation. The popularity of the product increases as it becomes better known, besides being the nearest and most accessible coffee producing country to the United States, the largest and best coffee market in the world. More attention is now being directed to the cultivation of coffee in Mexico, however, by both natives and foreigners than has ever before been given to the industry in that country. Native Mexicans are quietly, but steadily laying out new coffee plantations or enlarging and reviving old ones and many large tracts of land adapted to the growth of coffee have recently been purchased there by foreigners with that object. But while Mexico practically has no limit to her production of coffee, yet the average annual exports amounts only to about 10,000,000 pounds, the bulk of which is shipped to France, where it is graded as “Verde,” or Green, and “Blanco,” or White, the United States receiving the largest proportion of the remainder.

WEST INDIAN COFFEES.

The West India Islands at the beginning of the present century were noted for the extensive quantity and excellent quality of their coffee product, ranking at that period with the largest coffee-growing countries of the world. Its cultivation has rapidly and materially declined there in recent years, still continuing to do so at a disproportionate rate; the decrease since the emancipation of the negroes almost amounting to abandonment. But while commonly attributed in a great measure to the ravages of the blight, already described, it is more evidently traceable to social influences and a faulty system of cultivation. Latterly, however, attempts are being made to restore the industry to something like its former importance by new and improved methods of culture, so that it remains to be seen what art can do to combat the difficulty. They are classified in trade as Cuban, Jamaica, Haytian, San Domingo, Porto Rico, Trinidad, Dominica, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

=Cuban=--Though at one period one of the largest coffee-producing countries in proportion to its size, yielding nearly 50,000,000 pounds annually, Cuba now ranks lowest in the scale, not raising sufficient to supply the home demand, its cultivation being replaced in that island by that of sugar and tobacco. The districts most noted for the richness and excellence of their coffees are situated on the Sierra Maistra range, in the vicinity of Vuelta Abajo, as well as in the districts of Alquizar and San Marcos, and from the fact that these latter are among the oldest coffee-producing sections on the island, their product bears a high reputation for fragrance and excellence. But the coffee grown in the mountain district of Guantanamo is now considered the finest, its cultivation there being on the increase, while decreasing rapidly in the former districts. The bean of what little is produced on that island is large in size, whitish in color and peculiar in form, somewhat resembling a “male” or pea-berry. In roast and drink it is superior to many of the mild grades, with which it is usually ranked.

=Jamaica=--The coffee plant was first introduced into Jamaica in 1730, a special act of Parliament being passed in that year to encourage and foster its cultivation. The island is famous for the production of fine coffees, those grown on the regularly conducted plantations rivalling the best products of any country. It is divided into two kinds, “Blue Mountain” and “Plain-grown,” the latter being graded commercially as “Ordinary” in contradistinction to the former, which is always choice. “Blue Mountain Jamaica” is a bold, well-developed bean, bluish almost translucent in cast, very solid and attractive in style and appearance, and developing a characteristic peculiarity, that of opening and exposing a whitish hull or silver-skin down the furrow when roasted, while the liquor is heavy, round, full and rich, fragrant and aromatic to a high degree. It is packed for export in barrels and large casks, the bulk of the choicer grades being compulsorily exported to England, where it commands a higher figure relatively than Java and other equally fine coffees. Nearly all the coffee plantations on the Island of Jamaica being mortgaged to London brokers and dealers, the contracts containing a clause or stipulation compelling the planter to dispose of their crops through the holders, who, by the harsh terms of the contract, not only secure the best of the product and the interest on the money advanced but also the commissions or profits on its sale.

“Ordinary” or plain-grown Jamaica is a large, whitish, flat and broken-bean coffee, moist or spongy in the raw state, and invariably stony and hully, being imperfectly cleaned. The roast is usually either “quakery” or “niggery,” the liquor is strong, almost to rankness, and apt to be “wild” or “grassy” in flavor, more particularly when new, approximating close to a Travancore or Native Ceylon, to which coffees it bears a striking resemblance in character and value. It is put up in large coarse bags, averaging about 200 pounds, and shipped principally to the United States.

=Haytian Coffees.=--Coffee is claimed to have been first introduced into this island by wild fowl, being steriocaceously deposited there after the manner of Monkey, Jackal and Tiger-cat coffees. Its systematic cultivation was first begun there about 1740 by the French, the industry flourishing during the French _régime_, but rapidly declining after the island passed under native rule. It is cultivated there now by natives exclusively, principally in the districts of Jeremie, Jacmel and Gonaives, by which terms it is more familiarly known to commerce. They are generally large, flat, white and broken in appearance, invariably stony and stemy, being but crudely cultivated and prepared for market. Yet, notwithstanding these defects, they are elegant roasters, yielding an excellent liquor, full of snap and rich in flavor, but owing to its indifferent treatment its commercial value is reduced far below its intrinsic worth. The coffee itself being mild and pleasant, added to its low price, would commend it to many consumers were it but properly cleaned and graded. Usually all of it received into this country is reshipped to France, Belgium and Germany, where it is picked over by hand, the consumers in these countries not being as exacting as regards cleaning and grading as in this country. The production of coffee in Hayti has fallen from over 80,000,000 pounds in 1789 to less than 50,000,000 at the present time, although the island offers an excellent and extensive field for the industry, which, it is hoped, will be taken advantage of as soon as the country devotes its energies more closely to the improvement of its internal affairs and the encouragement of capital.

=San Domingo=--Known to trade as “Cape,” is grown on the same island to the west of Hayti, and approximates very closely in size, style and color to ordinary Jamaica--so much so that it is frequently substituted and sold in lieu of it. Its cultivation being also principally conducted by natives, who are so indifferent to its proper preparation for market--machinery being employed only to a very limited extent--that most of the product is shipped in a stony and otherwise dirty condition, thus reducing its value commercially far below its intrinsic worth.

=Porto Rico=--Is grown chiefly in the province of Ponce, small quantities being also produced in the districts of Arecibo, Mayaguez and Aguadilla. The bean is regular and well formed, but varying in color from yellow to greenish, the quality is fairly good, and though, not well known in the American market is much valued in Spain and the European markets generally.

=Dominica=--Known to trade as “Souffriere,” from the district of growth, is a peculiarly shaped bean, said to be produced from Mocha seed, but much inferior to the product of the parent plant. From the effects of Negro emancipation and the coffee blight, the annual production of Dominica has fallen from over 2,000,000 pounds to almost nominal.

=Trinidad=--The coffee export from Trinidad is only about 25,000 pounds yearly, yet there is scarcely any part of the island where coffee culture may not be profitably undertaken, particularly in the districts of Aripo and Maracas, where the conditions are unsurpassed. Both the Arabian and Liberian species are grown there, the product being commercially divided into “Large” and “Small” and generally shipped to Spain.

=Martinique.=--Although originally introduced into the New World through Martinique, which island was for a long time celebrated for the quantity and quality of its coffee, it produces very little comparatively at the present day. In fact, barely sufficient to supply the home demand, the excess going to France, where it is highly esteemed for its intrinsic merits. The bean is exceedingly small, hard and flinty, somewhat resembling that of a Mocha, bluish-gray in color, heavy and round in body, pungent and piquant in flavor, and grading with the finest of the milder sorts.

=Guadeloupe.=--More or less coffee is produced in Guadeloupe and other of the smaller islands of the Antilles, but chiefly to supply the home demand, and, with the exception of the former, are almost entirely unknown to commerce. It is grown principally in the districts of Bonfleur and Hatrant, what little is exported being shipped to France, where it is valued high commercially for its superior drinking qualities. A century ago the island exported nearly 8,000,000 pounds, being now reduced to less than 500,000. The total annual production of the entire West India Islands not exceeding 90,000,000 pounds at the present time, but strenuous efforts are being made to increase the product.

CENTRAL AMERICAN COFFEES.

Coffee forms the principal staple of the Central American States, the soil and climate being eminently adapted to the cultivation of fine coffees, but, as in all other countries, the best grades are produced on the upland or mountain slopes. In some of these countries, however, the most primitive system of cultivation and elementary methods of preparing are still in use, while in others, notably Guatemala, the most improved modern machinery is employed. They embrace Guatemala, Nicaragua, San Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica coffees.

=Guatemala=--Produces the finest, ranking in intrinsic merit with that of any variety grown--more particularly that grown in the now famous Coban district, in Vera Paz, which rivals, if it does not actually excel, all other varieties in size, style, roasting and drinking qualities. The average bean is large, bold and symmetrical in form, of a translucent blue cast, and exceedingly handsome in general appearance, making a perfect roast, yielding a rich brown liquor, sparkling and aromatic in the cup. The next best coffees in Guatemala are those grown in the “Costa Chica” and “Costa Grande,” a prolongation of the chain of mountains crossing the southern boundary of Mexico. The production of coffee has more than doubled in Guatemala in the past ten years, the price during the same period being more than quadrupled. The total product for 1892 was over 700,000 quintals, representing a total value of 16,000,000 dollars. The extraordinary high price of coffee now ruling has led to a transformation of the country, small land-owners who heretofore realized from their crops scarcely sufficient for working expenses, now find themselves with considerable capital, with which they improve and enlarge their plantations. These results have led to unbridled speculation, large companies being formed there for still increasing the area and yield of coffee, every speculator and small trader who has been enabled to save a little money, abandoning his former occupation, turning his attention to coffee growing. This condition may last as long as the present high prices of coffee continues, but a reaction may occur at any time, when complete ruin will be the natural consequence to the suddenly increased number of producers, of which the reflex cannot be but felt in the economic conditions of the country. Land which was but a few years ago uninhabited, has been suddenly converted into smiling and well-cultivated coffee plantations, towns and villages long in decay have risen around them as if by magic and are steadily increasing in wealth. New roads to facilitate transportation to the ports are being constructed, commercial transactions are multiplied, the revenue of the country is increasing, public credits re-established on a sounder basis, and what was but a short time ago a poor, declining and almost ruined State has been suddenly, by the cultivation of coffee, converted into a rich and prosperous commonwealth.

=Nicaragua=--Is a medium-sized regular-formed bean, solid and heavy in the hand, greyish-yellow in color, what is technically termed “foxy,” and a smooth roaster. The drinking qualities, however, are only fair, the liquor, while heavy, being devoid of snap and fragrance, approximating more to a Rio in flavor.

=Salvador=--Is allied to Nicaragua in appearance and character, and classed the same, but possesses much finer roasting and drinking properties. The natural bean of the finer grades is, if anything, better developed and more uniform, while the poorer ones are very uneven, broken and “mottled” in appearance; the liquor thin in body and lacking aroma.

=Honduras=--Is a yellowish, heavy-bean coffee, assuming a rich straw color with age, and having an attractive appearance in the hand. As a general rule it roasts even and smooth, becoming a rich brown color when parched; the liquor, while thin, gives out a pleasant odor, resembling that exhaled by cocoa or chocolate, said to be acquired from being grown in close proximity to cocoa plantations.

=Costa Rica=--Is one of the most deceptive coffees grown, the raw bean being large and bold in style, a rich pea-green in color, uniform and shapely; but is invariably what is termed “hidey,” which is in reality due to the soil in which it is grown, and, while it makes an almost perfect roast, is “grassy” and bitter in the infusion, particularly when roasted for any length of time, it becomes sour and unpalatable, making its purchase at all times risky.

SOUTH AMERICAN COFFEES

Comprise Venezuelan, Colombian, Equador, Bolivian, Guiana, Peruvian, Paraguayan and Brazilian, small quantities being also produced in Chili and Argentina.

VENEZUELAN COFFEES.

The chief coffee-producing districts of Venezuela lie in a central division, having Caracas and Valencia as a base, with the ports of La Guayra and Puerto Cabello as shipping points, the district surrounding the Lake of Valencia being one of the most productive coffee countries in the world in the quantity and quality of its product. They include La Guayra, Caracas, Maracaibo, Curaçoa and Angostura coffees.