Il8 XDTICIA SOBRE A CUl-TURA DO CAFE. 



poderemos affirmar sem receio, que o cafe de Inhambaiie e uma 

 CTiltura na qual se pode arriscar capitaes. 



Nao aconselharei a ninguem aiesta provincia que metta hom- 

 bros, sem previamente estiidar e ter fundos capital] zados, a uma 

 plantacao de cafe de outras variedades que por ora sao des- 

 conhecidas nesta provincia. 



Sobre o cafe de Inhambane, nao teria duvida algunia em 

 arriscar capitaes desde que a cultura fosse modelar, e para isso 

 bastava a boa vontade e a persistencia de quem a dirigisse. 



Nao e transcendents e hoje, com as aperfeicoadissimas 

 alfaias agricolas que na sua maioria estao ao alcance de todo o 

 agricultor, e os raagnificos apparelhos para o deeorticar, a em- 

 presa nao seria grande, que qualquer a nan pudesse levai- a bom 

 fim. 



E ao encerrar aqui estas ligeiras notas sobre o cafe, haja 

 quem me ler de corrigir as muitas dificiencias e lacunas que ellas 

 conteem, porque, sendo o mais obscuro funccionario da Re 

 partigao de Agricultura d'esta provincia, nao caberia em meu 

 animo a louca vaidade de exliibir-me num trabalho de tanta 

 responsabilidade, quando e certo que nao era a mim. mas sim a 

 outrem, que tal competia,. 



(translation.) 

 NOTES ON COFFEE GROWING. 



Cv Francisco de ]\Ieirelles. 



Coffee is a plant of the Rubiaceae family, a native of 

 Abyssinia. Its species are numerous, and according to H. 

 Jumelle the most interesting ones from a practical point of view 

 are: Coffea Arabica, Coffea Liherica, and Coffea Stnophilla. 



The Coffea Arabica is indigenous to the Portuguese East 

 Coast of Africa, where it is found wild. It is a shrub wliich 

 does not atttain a height of more than 5 to 6 metres. The true 

 type of Coffea Arabica is the coffee generally known as Mocha, 

 and its leaves are opposite, glabrous, oval, and the flowers are 

 white and in small clusters at the axils. 



The principal varieties of Coffea Arabica are the Brazil. Sao 

 Thome, Java, Jamaica, etc. 



Climate. 



Opinions differ considerably as to the best climate suitable 

 for Coffee, Some say that it prefers high to low lands, as, for 

 instance, in Southern India and in Venezuela, where the planta- 

 tions exceed an altitude of 2,000 metres. In Brazil the best 

 grades of coffee are gathered at altitudes varying from 600 to 

 i,ooo metres. Coffee grown below 200 metres is of an inferior 



