192 



The World's Commercial Products 



Sizing. To secure uniformity in size, which is desirable when roasting, the beans are sorted 

 into large, medium and small by passing them through sieves with meshes of certain sizes. 

 The last stage is to pick them over carefully by hand to remove all foreign bodies, broken or 

 discoloured beans, and anything in fact which would lower the value of the product. 



After the beans come on the market they only require roasting and grinding to be ready 

 for use. 



THE PRINCIPAL COFFEE-PRODUCING COUNTRIES 



Brazil 

 The principal coffee-growing districts in Brazil are all included in the four states of Sao 

 Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Geraes, and Espiritu Santo, lying just within the tropics, as shown 

 in the map on page 177. It is recorded that in 1905 there were in the state of Sao Paulo no- 

 less than 16,015 coffee estates. The coffee-producing region is but a very small portion of 



SURINAM. DRYING COFFEE ON PLATFORMS WHICH CAN BE RUN UNDER SHELTER 



Brazil, which is nearly as large as all Europe, and much more coffee could be grown in the 

 country if required. The consumption of the world, however, remains fairly stationary at 

 about 16,000,000 bags (of 120 lb. each) per annum. All the other coffee countries put together 

 produce about 4,000,000 bags, whilst for Brazil alone the crop for 1906 is expected to reach 

 the enormous total of 16,000,000 bags, and some estimates put it as high as 18,000,000. The 

 aim in Brazil now is rather to reduce the crop in order to maintain prices, and a tax has been 

 imposed on new coffee estates. The present great production is largely due to the high prices 

 which ruled from 1887 to about 1895, and encouraged planting enterprise. In 1901-2 the coffee 

 crop of the world reached its maximum, and the lowest prices for the product were experienced 

 in 1903-04. 



Other South American Countries 

 In Venezuela and Columbia, situated in the northern and hottest portion of South America, 

 coffee is extensively grown, chiefly in the mountain districts. From Venezuela the annual 



