374 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



which gives it its aroma. It is cooked by infusion in a close 

 vessel, and should not be boiled. It was introduced into 

 Europe about the year 1600, but had been used by the 

 Chinese from the earliest times. 



Coffee is the berry of a small tropical tree. It was intro- 

 duced into England in 1650, and its use has become common 

 among almost all races and tribes of men who have commer- 

 cial intercourse with each other. Its active principle, caffein, 

 is identical in chemical composition with the theine of tea, 

 but it differs in its physical properties and physiological 

 action. It also contains tannin, legumine, a volatile oil on 

 which its aroma depends, and other principles. To prepare 

 the berry for use it must be roasted to a dark-brown color, — 

 not charred, — which sets free the volatile oil and develops 

 the aroma. It should then be ground and cooked in a close 

 vessel by infusion, steaming or percolation, and not boiled, 

 which saves the aroma and volatile principles. An excellent 

 method and e-oonomical is to boil the grounds from which a 

 previous supply has been made, and pour this, Avhen hot, 

 upon a fresh portion of coffee, which saves the aroma and all 

 the principles that are of value. 



Tea and coffee are innocent, pleasant beverages when used 

 temperately, but if abused they are poisons. They are pow- 

 erful nerve stimulants, producing, when used in moderation, 

 a cheering sense of warmth, exhilaration, mental activity and 

 wakefulness. They relieve hunger and fatigue, and are a 

 protection from heat and cold. They dispel care, and con- 

 tribute to the comfort and happiness of mankind ; but if 

 abused they wreck the nervous system, causing tremor, 

 anxiety, palpitation, impairment of sight, disturbance of the 

 brain, feverishness, indigestion and general weakness of body 

 and mind. 



Cocoa, from Avhich chocolate is prepared, is derived from 

 the seeds of a tree growing in tropical regions. It is rich in 

 fat, starch and nitrogenous matter, and yields an active prin- 

 ciple, theobromine, similar to caflein, and a volatile oil which 

 gives it its delicate aroma. It is closely allied to tea and 

 coffee in its effects, but is less stimulating and far more nu- 

 tritious, and has been widely used for several hundred years. 



