1, I886.J 



THE TROPICAL AGRICLTLTURIST. 



:il 



This is a very important fact, and, should the leaf come 

 into general use, will no doubt lead to the introduction 

 of new forms of husbandry in many tropical regions, 

 from which the coffee-tree, as a profitable article of 

 culture, has been hitherto excluded. At present the 

 price of the prepared leaves in Sumatra is about Ihd. a 

 pound, and they may be packed, if good quality, for the 

 European market for 2d. a pound. In regard to the 

 constituents of the dried coffee-leaf, the agreeable 

 aroma emitted shows that, like Chinese tea, it contains 

 a volatile oil, which will probably act upon the system 

 like the similar oils of tea and coffee. It has been 

 proved also to contain theine to the extent of about I5 

 per cent (Stenhouse), and an astringent acid closely re- 

 sembling that which is found in Paraguay tea. Both of 

 these are present in it in larger proportion than in the 

 coffee-bean, and hence, probably, the reason why the 

 leaf is preferred to the bean by the natives of Sumatra. 

 These, with about 13 per cent of glutin and some gum, 

 are all the important ingredients yet found in the leaf. 

 But the presence of these substances proves it to be so 

 similar to the tea leaf in composition as to lead to the 

 belief that it may be successfully substituted in common 

 use for the Chinese tea. {And this conclusion is support- 

 ed by the wakefulness which is said to be produced by 

 the infusion of coffee-leaves, by the bodily refreshment 

 it is found to yield, by the directly nutritive power 

 which the leaves possess, and by the general favour they 

 have found in the estimation of the people of Sumatra. 

 To boiling water the dried coffee,-'eaves yield about 

 39 per cent of their weight — as much as is taken up by 

 water from the most soluble varieties of the coffee-bean, 

 and more than is yielded by average Chinese tea. In 

 this property, therefore, the leaf of the coffee-tree is 

 also equal to the bean." 



ANNUAL STATEMENT OF THE COFFEE 



TRADE OF THE UNITED STATES. 



The more prominent features of the coffee trade of 

 the United States during 1885, have been, first, a further 

 increase in consumption as compared with previous 

 years ; second, an extremely low range of values through- 

 out the year ; and, third, the change that has become 

 established in the methods of conducting business, 

 more particularly with respect to the product of Brazil, 

 which constitutes the bulk of our supply. Inci-eased 

 consumption has been due partly to the growth of 

 population, but unquestionably tha most important 

 element has been the increasing popularity of coffee as 

 a beverage among all classes, while its relative cheapness 

 to consumers as a food staple has not been without its 

 influence. The extent to which roasted coffee is now 

 prepared and distributed has had much to do with its 

 increased popularity. So long has this preliminary pre- 

 paration had to be accomplished in the kitchen, the loss 

 and labor that was entailed deterred many from its use. 

 A lack of care or experience in this important process 

 was apt to cause waste, in addition to the ununiform 

 and imperfect results obtained, but this has been 

 entirely obviated by the erection of large roasting 

 establishments throughout the country, where, with the 

 aid of improved machinery, and by the utilization of 

 many ingenious inventions this labor is all performed 

 perfectly and satisfactorily, and consumers are enabled 

 to obtain from retailers an article that is thoroughly 

 prepared for cooking. This fact, together with the 

 relatively low prices that have been established during 

 the past two years, has made coffee peculiarly the poor 

 man's diet, and greatly popularized and extended its use 

 with all classes. The extent to which low prices have 

 influenced consumption may be readily appreciated 

 fiom the fact that the average price of Rio during the 

 year under review is the lowest since 1852. The 

 changed methods of doing business relate to the manner 

 of importation and sale. Jobbers and roasters now 

 supply their wants chiefly by purchases made direct in 

 Rio, that is, instead of coffee b'jing imported here for 

 sale, its sale has been accomplished in most instances 

 before it is shipped, and the sea coast ports have become 

 clearing-houses, and distributing centres, rather than 

 (Sftrts where actual merchandize ie bought ami sold. 



The net results of low prices and new methods of 

 business have been narrow profits to importers and 

 dealers and a year of trade that, while in no sense 

 disastrous has not proved one of singular pro.sperity to 

 those engaged therein. These features have not been 

 confined, however, to the coffee trade alone, but have 

 _ characterised, to a greater or less extent, the operations 

 of the year in almost every department of commercial 

 activity and may be readily traced to the natural 

 development of the tendencies of the times, after 

 experiencing'a long period of trade depression and the 

 practice of close economy. The existing condition of 

 affairs has resulted from keen competition, a radical 

 improvement in the methods of transportation by water, 

 as well as on land, increased facilities for rapid communic- 

 ation with all parts of the world, the abundance and 

 cheapness of money, the closer relations existing be- 

 tween buyer and seller, and a consequent disposition to 

 trade upon a narrower margin of profit. The fact that 

 the yearly average price for fair to prime Rio is the 

 lowest since 1852, is the best proof of its relative 

 cheapness during the year, but the very narrow 

 fluctuations of the market have been of still greater 

 importance in restricting the opportunities for obtaining 

 more than a living profit. 



Consumption east of the Rocky Mountains has 

 increased in comparison with 188-1, il,855 tons, or 5-3 

 per cent, which although not as great an increase as 

 shown the year previous, nevertheless means about 

 one-half poimd more for every man, woman and child of 

 our population, which is a very considerable expan.'.ion, 

 considering the relative proi^ortion of this population 

 that are not coffee drinkers. This brings the per capita 

 consumption of the country up to about 9"31 pounds, 

 against 7"(J1 pounds in 1879. While the United States, 

 as a whole, is one of the largest consumers of coft'eo in 

 the world, its population is not so universally addicted 

 to its use as Holland, where the per capita consumption 

 is about 21 pounds or in Denmark and Belgium, where 

 it amounts to about 13^ pounds, but with these excep- 

 tions we are the largest individual consumers of the 

 beverage. In this connection it is worthy of remark 

 that Great Britaiu shows a steady decrease within the 

 past few years, the (|uantity imported last year, which 

 amounted to only 41,0UU tons, being less than one-half 

 what it was four years previously. 



The total importations of all kinds of coffee have betn 

 16,938 tons in excess of the previous year, that the 

 stocks carried over January, 1, 1886, were 1,785 tons 

 less than at the correspondmg date ui 1885, and that 

 there was exported 3,700 tons more than during 1884, 

 thereby resulting in an increased consumption of 11,855 

 tons- Brazil has been the most important source of 

 supply, the United States absorbing by far the largest 

 proportion of the ))roduct of that empire, and the direct 

 importations from there forming about 7'^ per cent of 

 the total quantity of all kinds imported. The total 

 importation of Brazil coffee last year from all sources 

 was 3,180,343 bags, against 2,787,111 bags in 1884, an 

 increase of 393,232 bags. There has been a slight 

 falling-off in the importation from "N'euezuela and the 

 United States of Columbia which amount to only 417,632 

 bags, against 462,040 the year previous. This has been 

 due to the political disturbances in the latter states, 

 which prevailed from March to September, and in some 

 unexplained way led to the disappearance of over 40,000 

 bags that was expected from that source. The direct 

 receipts from Java and Sumatra show a considerable 

 decrease compared with last year owing to s/ualler 

 crops in those islands, but the deficiency has been 

 more than made up by increased importations from 

 Macassar, which, although inferior in quality and price, 

 has no doubt been readilj' consumed by an unsuspecting 

 public as "old Government Java.'' There has been an 

 increase in the receipts of Mexican, which are nearly 

 double those of last year, and would seem to point to 

 increased cultivation. These grades are of excellent 

 quality and appearance, but in the hands of the distri- 

 buter they lose their identity and find their way into 

 consumption in the various mixtures that are sold to 

 the public under other names. In addition to 43,753 

 packages received at New York, about 32,500 packages 

 were imported at New Orleans and Galveston. The 



