COST AND PROFIT. 



deterioration to which it is exposed in bullock carts 

 during long journeys to the coast. The real facts being 

 that the difficulties in the way of forming accurate agri- 

 cultural statistics are in the coffee-producing countries 

 almost insuperable, there being either a tendency to ex- 

 aggerate or depreciate the yield, as it best serves the 

 interests of the cultivators. And again as regards coffee 

 in particular, there is no means whatever of estimating 

 the product. A great deal being said, but very little 

 known in the way a man generally requires to know 

 that he may wish to publish as reasonably near the truth. 

 So in going into coffee planting in any country it signi- 

 fies little whether you know what certain plantations have 

 yielded or what amount of profits may be expected. 

 One fact may be relied on, however, that is, if an estate 

 frequently changes hands, it is certainly a bad or indifferent 

 one, if seldom it is sure the coffee growing pays well, 

 and further it is not necessary to inquire, for hardly any 

 landed investment pays so well as good sound coffee 

 property, and the owners are therefore seldom inclined 

 to part with it. 



The extent of coffee plantations varies from lOO to 300 

 acres, the annual product ranging from 500 to 1,000 

 pounds per acre of prepared coffee, according to location 

 and care bestowed on the plantation. The profits also 

 vary with the ruling market price of the coffee at time of 

 sale, of labor, transportation and the inscrutable effects 

 of the season. But a cost of from ;^350 to ;^500 per 100 

 pounds may be considered a fair average ; any yield 

 under 300 per acre scarcely paying expenses, any over 

 700 paying a handsome profit. 



