Sbptember I, 1885.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST- 



213 



supercilious scliool that I cannot but thiuk the present 

 diBcuBsioD smacks of twaddle also. Having told you what 

 a very superior person I should be, now for the inform- 

 ation which, you will permit mo to adil, was acquired 

 on eight estates, all varying somewhat as to climate, 

 soil and ruinfali, and coufiriued by the opinions of three 

 old planters related to me in different degrees: — (1) 

 ** Each district, almost each group of estates, has its own 

 particular color, due to climate and soU." Conditions 

 being favourable, it is certain that an estate in any dis- 

 trict in a particular year will have as good a color as 

 is possible in that year, qualified by my remarks given 

 below. If any portion of an estate does happen to give 

 better color than the rest, work for it if the reason 

 can be discovered, not forgetting that no artificial man- 

 ure, but the phosphates have, so far as my experience 

 goes, any influence on color, and they only in a very small 

 degree. 



(2.) ' Color' is reported to be modified in more or less 

 degree by (a) ' /Fea/Aer'-^Deficient rainfall and a big 

 crop, (h) ' Jiii/ Crop' invariably gives bad average color, 

 though the first half or three-fourths of a crop may be 

 quite up to the mark ; watch the picking carefully, keep 

 the colory separate, advising curing agents of same. 



(c) Cultivation. — Scientific pruning and rational man- 

 uring mollify the effect of dry weather or a big crop, 

 putting heart into the trees, ai is well-known ; steamed 

 bone meal and freshly burnt coral lime gave me the 

 boldest berry I ever picked. It topped the London market 

 for a month, but the color could not be said to be ab- 

 solutely better than the rest of the crop. It looked better 

 truly, but the berry was so bold it shewed deep color 

 just as a double thickness of glass is apparently deeper 

 in hue than a single pane. Phosphates of bones and of 

 lime are very useful in stimulating sluggish trees : trees 

 which standing on good soil do not crop; these highly 

 stimulating mamu-es are death to land only too ready to 

 bear. After a heavy crop it is the ''happy despatch;*' I 

 have seen a field simply extinguished. 



(d) Shade. — If on good soil and at the lower elevations, 

 and then only, gives good color ; if the soil is wanting, 

 crop and color are equally poor. 



(e) But the greatest factor in determining color, in 

 any particular year. 



(/) Is the stage 0/ ripenas when the hern/ is picJced. 

 Tho best color is attained when picking is racing dropping ; 

 it is absolutely essential for good color that the berry 

 should be diijtinctly over-ripe, and with this is linked 

 fermentitiy^ for in that condition it ferments quickly and 

 cleanly. Berries not fully ripe require a longer time 

 on the cisterns, and if I am not mistaken, require to 

 kee}) this maximum heat also longer to detach the mucil- 

 age. In this connection I do not altogether disregard 

 the opinion of those who contend that damage is done to 

 color by overheating, but I limit the possible damage to 

 berries not fully ripe which are more liable to be affected 

 by extraneous influences. Let any one try the experiment 

 of allowing good ripe parchment to stand six or eight 

 hours longer than usual in the fermenting cistern, and 

 declare on his honor that the color was in any way 

 atfected ; I have often tried and utterly failed to di.slinguish 

 any harm. It stands to reji-son that ripeness and good 

 quality (which most certainly is inculsive of color) are 

 synonymous. Why should a coffee fruit be considered in 

 a different light from other fruits ? I write clearly on 

 this point, for many young planters are so afraid of crop 

 dropping that they lose for th''ir crop the benefit of a 

 week's sojourn on the trees, and that the last and most 

 important week. Watch the rapid development of the 

 berry in the last month in weight and in color, and 

 then call me foolish when I say that the week lost may 

 be a quality lost. 



(j) Condition Khert leavini/ the estate. — I u.sed to consider 

 three scorching days at low elevations — and from four to 

 seven days on the higher estates — of drying as sufficient; 

 it kept long in store, another half day before despatch 

 to sweeten it. 'For a ten days' journey coffee should not 

 weigh more than 33 lb. per bushel, and in transit, pack- 

 ing in three-bushel bags is far preferable to heaping a 

 quantity l(3ose in a cart covered by a mat ; if the cofTee 

 is not well dried, it is offering a premium to rot. 



3. Very much depends on the coast curing eataUishmenti 

 and X would ad\-ise planters to patronize that store which 

 has the best account sales; part of the higher prices, 

 one may be sure, is attributable to better curing under 

 skilled European management. Distrust all stores where 

 the manager is not really a capable experienced man, 

 for without the knowledge, he must depend on his native 

 subordinates : rotten reeds in such matters at the best 

 of times. 



4. " I'oyaye Home." — Insist on agents choosing a qaick 

 ship and a clean cargo ; what do they charge commission 

 for? 



5 " Bain." — So long as the rainfall is suflficient so much, 

 more or less, makes not an atom of difference. If it rains 

 so continuously that the parchment cannot be dried, keep 

 it in wet cisterns, with water running through, and it 

 will be sweet and colory ; why should it lose its color 

 if kept cool V Negligence excuses itself by averaging " heat- 

 ing;" it is an utter mistake to pre-suppose it. I have had 

 jjarchment twenty-nine successive days in running water, 

 and though it was discolored the berry inside was as well 

 colored as the rest of that crop. 



To sura up, dry weather occasionally affects color; 

 cultivation perhaps a little. The best results may not be 

 husbanded owing to ignorance or carelessness, but he who 

 strictly attends to thorough ripeness when picking, and 

 dryness when despatching, has done almost all he can for 

 the color. Careful cultivation especially, pruning with 

 discretion, and manuring with care gives a bold beau, 

 enhancing the color and consequently the price • contra 

 hiEh-priced coffee is customarily called colory by brokers. 



M. P. 



Then in the Mail of 28th July Mr. Quarme writes :— 

 » » * » 



A. The only difference that is observable in bean 

 matured under shade, and in the open (in the same 

 locality) is, that the bean under sh.tde is more elongated, 

 and has less specific gravity, generally with a marked 

 diminution of peaberry, and from its more moist properties 

 ferments quickly. 



B. The only means of producing the colour which 

 influences the London brokers is by fermentation, and 

 that of course can only be effected on the estate by 

 the planter himself. The present failure in colour may 

 be ascribed to the comparative small daily i)ickings of 

 a few score bushels, instead of as many hundreds being 

 heaped in the cherry loft, and after passing through 

 the pulper being placed in capacious cold, chiinam built 

 vats. It will be obvious that fermentation generates 

 quicker in a large mass than in a small one, and that 

 wooden cisterns accelerate fermentation, especially if 

 some of the previous days fermented slimy juice is left 

 in the vats. It must also be borne in mind that longer 

 periods are required to produce fermentation in higher 

 elevations. I remember in the days of " bumper crops" 

 in the bamboo district, a planter got behind with his 

 pulping though working day and night ; the cherry was 

 tough with fermenation in the loft ; and yet this e.x- 

 eessively fermented coffee, though very badly washed 

 for the lack of water, tVtclied exceptionally high rates. 

 Native cured coffee has often a . better colour than 

 plantation. Coffee in high elevations .should be ferment- 

 ed at least 3(1 hours, which fact the late Mr. C. AA'. 

 Keed successfully proved on the "(iuynd Kstste. 



C. This would be better put. Is there no difference 

 between coast cured coffee and those cured inland ;•' Coffee 

 is best cured in a dry as well as warm temperature. 

 All tnings being the same, I decidedly prefer inland 

 curing. I remember an old Civilian who had kept 

 some coffee two years in the plains, .and of which a 

 London Broker offered to buy any quantity at any price 

 named. The coffee gets a transparency of colour from 

 the moisture in the bean being absorbed by dry heat, 

 the oilv matters remaining, and so influencing the colour. 



D. Manure affects the .size and weight of the bean ; but 

 I fail to see how it would affect the colour. 



E. Packing in cases and casks preserves the colour 

 of the coffee Ijetter than bags. All coffee pales, and 

 becomes transparent in colour from age, as long as it 

 is not mouldy. « » « • 



