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even the worst sorts. Unfortunately, the difference of price 

 between inferior and superior coffee is not sufficiently great 

 to cover so many years' interest on the capital invested. It 

 is for the same reason that planters, though they are perfectly 

 aware that trees growing on a light soil, and in dry and elevated 

 spots, produce smaller berries of very superior flavour to those 

 grown in rich, flat, and moist soils, yet prefer cultivating the 

 latter, simply because the production is double that of the 

 better sort. Those who wish to improve the quality of their 

 coffees by keeping, must bear in mind that perfect dryness 

 of the loft or warehouse, moderate warmth, and gentle venti- 

 lation are the indispensable conditions of success ; a strong 

 draught of air is more particularly to be guarded against, as 

 it tends to bleach the berries. Great care must be taken, 

 also, to keep all strong- flavoured wares, such as pepper, 

 pimento, ginger, cod-fish, herrings, rum, &c., as far as possible 

 from the coffee, which has a powerful attraction for these 

 scents, and gets thoroughly impregnated with them, to the 

 great deterioration, of course, of its quality. This remark 

 applies more particularly to the shipping of coffee from 

 Jamaica and the other ~V\ r est India Islands. Want of proper 

 ventilation in the holds in which a cargo of coffee is stowed 

 on board ship, is equally injurious to the quality of the 

 article. Coffee which has suffered damage by sea-water, or 

 has been spoiled by the close vicinity of strong-scented wares, 

 may, to some extent, be reclaimed by " rouncing" or putting 

 it in a tub, pouring boiling water over it, stirring for a few 

 minutes, then pouring the water off, repeating the same 

 operation a second, or even a third time, if necessary, and 

 most carefully drying the washed berries. 



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