March i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



713 



to find a foi-oign market for their produce. The importance 

 of the NetliL-rlands coft'ee mart can only win influence 

 and a signification by increased imports. It nmst be re- 

 membered, too, that our tea producers of Java had formerly 

 the idea that London was a better mart for their pro- 

 ducts, but step by step there have been signs of that fallacy 

 beiug removed, espi-rially since their grievances against 

 the Dutch mart have been taken into earnest considera- 

 tion in the same manner let the coffee planters publish their 

 grievances against the sale in the Netherland.s, and it can 

 scarcely be doubted but that a mutual self-interest will en- 

 courage commerce by an amelioration of the dis-approved 

 conditions. Probably people exaggerate the sale at Marseilles, 

 because Java coffee mil always be bought in Holland, in 

 the same way that Ceylon Plantation is preferred in 

 London, and Brazil coffee is chosen in Havre. Hamburg 

 and Antwerp. Java coffee as prepared in the AVesi;-Indies 

 finds its way particularly into Germany, with which our 

 marts have profiitable transit tariffs. For many years 

 past small consignments of Java coffee have been regularly 

 sent to a house at Marseilles and there sold with great 

 success. As soon as the imports there have passed a certain 

 limit the mart is unwilling to buy, and it is positively 

 ascertained that in 1881, amongst other years, several 

 consignments of coffee were sent from Marseilles to Holland 

 and here sold at higher prices than invoiced notwithstanding 

 the increase of the transit charges. 



Let me now direct attention to the difficulties, expressed 

 on all sides, against shipping coffee in the parchment. 



The practice of exporting coffee in the parchment is 

 not new, for it is mentioned by de Sturler in his work 

 upon agriculture in the East-Indies, which appeared in 

 1863. It is true it was not carried out on a large scale 

 on account of the transit charges being so high. In 1879 

 Mr. Eauws shipped coffee in the parchment from Java, 

 and trials of it were made at the well-known establishment 

 of Messrs. L. Jonker, Sous & Co., at Amsterdam. Tliose 

 trials gave encom-agiug results and Mr. Uauws drew the 

 attention of his friends to them, and as a consequence, 

 in 1880 Messrs. Jonker received larger consignments, which 

 were further increased in 1881, while for 1882 they can 

 show a still greater augmentation. Jlessrs. Jonker spared 

 no trouble in perfecting their establishment and they, aided 

 by the initiative of Mr. Rauws, have the honour of having 

 introduced this new industry. They have already proof 

 that they will satisfy their contractors, and that their 

 example will speedily be imitated. 



In the autumn of 1880, Messrs. Chabot and Andres, of 

 Rotterdam began the experiment of peeling. They have 

 established a mill which can work 100 bales per day, and 

 when they had received the necessary experience as to 

 the best system they went quietly to enlarge their estab- 

 lishment. The coffee from the Sringin Company of Bodja 

 (Samarang) was worked by them in 1881 and also expected 

 in 1882. A portion of coffee peeled in 1881 was dried 

 in the ordinary way and the remainder in the machine 

 " Guardiola. " The peelers found no difference in quality, 

 but brokers priced the usually dried coffee at 48 cents and 

 that done in a scientific way by the machine at 54 cents. 

 The merchants paid, at the auction, on Nov. 23, 1881. 

 for both samples at 54 cents. 



In a short time other establishments were elected, and 

 now there are five in Amsterdam and two in Rotterdam. 

 It is known that these new manufactories did not immediate- 

 ly prove satisfactory in every respect. As an example, 

 ilessrs. Jansen and Ten Gate, of Amsterdam, found mistakes 

 which they determined to correct in the future. That 

 the new industry had to struggle with difficulties, cannot 

 be wondered at and that the promoters, who were not 

 quite acquainted with the technicalities nor with the re- 

 quirements of the coffee were often mi.staken and not 

 immediately satisfied with the experiments. In a descriptive 

 catalogue of the Colonial Museum at Haarlem (published 

 in October 1882 by De Erven Loosjes, of Haarlem) I there 

 record the experience of competent people upon peeling 

 coffee. It is there stated : 



" We may notice that Java coffee dried in the red shell 

 " was occasionally brought into the m.art prepared in 

 " that manner and at the same time with coft'ee of the 

 " same growth but prepared in the usual way, and from 

 " the descriptions of the brokers and the prices paid there 

 •■ was not discovered any difference between the two ways 

 " of preparation." 



" In 1880-81 trials were made with the sale of coffee 

 " imported in the parchment. The colour of the coffee 

 " shipped in that way appeared after peeling to have been 

 '* better preserved than the cott'ee of the same growth 

 " sent peeled, and the prices paid were higher, but whether 

 " the exportation in the parchment may be termed ad- 

 " vantageous to the importers cannot with certainty be 

 *' determined until the exportation from Gabah takes place 

 ** on a larger scale. It cannot be told with certainty if 

 " the higher price paid will be equivalent for the increase 

 " of the cargo and freight occasioned by thu quantity of 

 " peels, etc. It is evident that the coffee peeled here 

 '* becomes sooner and more discoloured than that peeled 

 " in India, which will be prejudicial if it cannot be removed 

 " and in the future will not be without influence upon 

 " the stipulated prices." 



In a report respecting this prejudice we were told after 

 consultation with a well-known authority in Java : " The 

 speedy discolouring must be attributed, according to his 

 opinion, to the circumstance that before peeling the Gabah 

 is not thoroughly dried. That is well doue at Java where 

 the coffee retains its colour. Nobody should peel Gabah 

 coft'ee unless it has been dried for at least two days. 

 Diuring the voyage to Europe, and also in Europe, the 

 Gabah will become damp, particularly if the slime is not 

 well washed oft'. That absorption of moisture does not 

 directly work prejudicially upon the colour, but if the 

 coffee, after peeling, loses water it becomes speckled. Care 

 must also be taken that Gabah is well dried before peeling. 

 If it is dry in the centre the coffee will become a greenish- 

 yellow colour but get darker by the absorption of moisture. 

 If care is taken in that the colour will be retained." 



It may be that the success of peeling in Europe is not 

 only dependent upon the care taken in shipping the product 

 in India, but certainly also by observing those precautions 

 which have been neglected here before peeling through 

 not luiowing their influence. 



In the meantime the coffee planters have applied them- 

 selves earnestly to profit by the information given them, 

 and the result of thoroughly drying will soon appear. I 

 have heard of one undertaking where the first trials were 

 not encouraging, but experience is necessary as to the 

 best way of drying. It cannot be expected that coffee 

 will be prepared in Europe which will absolutely retain 

 its colour. Such a demand is not put on the Indian coft'ee 

 and a thing so impossible ought not to be required of 

 a product prepared in Europe. 



ITurther, the expectations of the most careful manage- 

 ment in Europe mil not lead the Indian producers to 

 neglect the care on their side. 



If products are shipped in India insufficiently dried or 

 managed it cannot be expected that the fii-st quality will 

 be obtained in Em'ope, and, naturally, the cost and care 

 spread in India in sorting will make the management 

 more troublesome here. I know that among the govern- 

 ment coffee imported here in the shell was a quantity 

 which must be denounced as inferior. Indeed it was so 

 inferior that it was declared to be unfit to be prepared 

 in the West India manner. In connection with this I 

 do not .seriously regard the complaint that " in Europe 

 there is sometimes less care given in the management 

 of the coft'ee than in India." I made the acquaintance 

 of three firms of cott'ee peelers and it is with pleasure 

 that I tell that they gave me the impression that they 

 have done and will do, all that is possible to encourage 

 this new industry, which will obtain for the Netherlands 

 great importance, as it will give employment to thousands 

 of hands in our great commercial towns. 



It ajjpears to be a burden of great importance that 

 the cost of peeling and that which is connected with it 

 should be dearer in the Netherlands than in India. That 

 increased cost must natm'ally find compensation in greater 

 market value. 



History and experience have taught, up to the present 

 time, that where there were no a priori explained accidental 

 circumstances to the contrary, in a number of cases the 

 larger cost of peeling coffee in Europe was plentifully 

 regained by the price received. From a wellknown com- 

 mercial firm at Amsterdam, who often send coffee to 

 Messrs. Jonker, I received the declaration that they were 

 satisfied with thoket results. In addition to this firm, 

 Messrs. Obabot and Andres, of Rotterdam, have the pleasure 



