THE AMEKICAN MONTHLY 



[rJanuaiy, 



now only found in the shelter of this 

 protecting cleft. By splitting off with 

 a knife the outside of the berry, as 

 much of this membrane as remains 

 ca-n be removed entire, and if 

 mounted, it is a beautiful object. 



We can now form some opinion as 

 to what proportion of the whole bulk 

 of the berry this membrane forms ; 

 and about the same proportion should 

 "be in the ground article. 



In examining the ground coffee 

 microscopically, after examining the 

 sifted part for starch, etc., it is suf- 

 ficient to shave off little slices from 

 the larger particles with a razor or 

 sharp knife, and examine them in 

 water or turpentine under the micros- 

 cope, with a one-inch, one-half-inch, 

 and a one-quarter-inch objective. The 

 indications afforded by the other 

 tests will be thus very readily con- 

 firmed, so far as to decide whether the 

 coffee is adulterated or pure. 



By cutting a slice from one-half of 

 the berry, and grinding this down 

 thin, just as we would grind bone, or 

 by shaving off, with a razor, little 

 flakes from all portions, we shall find 

 that aside from the membrane, the 

 coffee-berry consists wholly of re- 

 gularly arranged cells, very uni- 

 form in size, containing a reddish- 

 brown, oily looking substance (Fig. 2), 



Fig. 2. Cells of Coffee-berry. 



and the appearance of the cells and 

 their contents is similar through all 

 parts of the berry, but near the sur- 

 face they are somewhat compressed. 

 When once familiar with the appear- 

 ance of the coffee-cells, they cannot 

 be mistaken, and we now know just 

 what we ought to find in pure 

 ground coffee. On examining a sam- 

 ple of ground coffee known to be 



pure, we find it is all of a uniform 

 brown color, the smell is characteris- 

 tic and easily recognized, and not 

 like that of any other substance. On 

 rubbing it between the finger and 

 thumb, it is found to be hard, brittle, 

 not in the least sticky, and it does 

 not stain the fingers ; white paper is 

 hardly soiled by rubbing ground 

 coffee upon it ; the larger particles 

 cannot be crushed under a knife- 

 blade, and on putting some into 

 water, it stains the fluid very slowly, 

 but throughout ; the particles are 

 too hard to be crushed under the 

 thumb-nail, even after lying in water 

 for a week, and they are scarcely 

 swelled at all in cold Avater. 



If chicory be present in a sample 

 of coffee, it will be found in pieces 

 larger than the smaller particles of 

 coffee — it will be lighter in color, 

 and if in considerable proportion, its 

 peculiar sweetish odor will be distin- 

 guishable. The particles will feel 

 spongy, like chips of cork, and can be 

 flattened down, under a knife-blade, 

 like gum. In water, chicory yields 

 its coloring-matter very quickly, but 

 the color remains in the lower por- 

 tion of the fluid unless shaken, and 

 the particles swell very quickly, 

 doubling their bulk in half an hour. 

 By soaking it for about six hours, the 

 particles of chicory will be found soft 

 and mushy ; and by putting one on a 



Fig. 3. Cells of Chicory. 



