14 THE NATURE AND CULTIVATION OF COFFEE. 



may be believed, even more objectionable substances, 

 such as roasted horse liver and other animal matters, 

 find their way into the coffee-pot to the profit of the 

 grocer and the loss of the planter. 



Attention has been lately drawn to the use of the 

 leaf of the coffee tree as a substitute for tea, and 

 experience has shown that a beverage prepared from 

 coffee leaf is not only palatable, but is by some pre- 

 ferred to the best Pekoe or Souchong. There is little 

 doubt that such tea would, moreover, command a sale 

 in Europe, so that the process is reduced simply to a 

 question of profit or loss in production. The first 

 obvious objection is that it would injure the trees to 

 deprive them of their leaves, which constitute their 

 breathing organs, but on many estates where the trees 

 are luxuriant and constant pruning required, no incon- 

 siderable quantity might be collected from the shoots 

 and suckers which are pruned off; this could, however, 

 only be done at certain seasons when the pruning is 

 being carried on, and practical experiment alone can 

 prove whether the leaf at this season is at the fittest 

 state for manufacture. The second objection is the 

 cost of collecting and preparing the leaves ; this, how- 

 ever, applies equally to the cultivation of tea, and need 

 not be considered of importance if it was ascertained 

 that coffee-tea would realize the average price of Assam 

 produce. 



