COFFEE. 



53 



the process of pulping, or removal from tlie soft fleshy husk, 

 let Mr. Clerihew descril 



describe the advantages for himself 



Here 



" When the coffee berry is picked from the tree it bears a closer resemblance 

 to a ripe cherry, both in size and appearance ; and several processes have to be 

 gone through befoie the article known in commerce as coffee is produced. 

 In the first place, the pulpy exterior of the cherry has to be removed by the 

 process of pulping, which separates the seed and its thin covering called the 

 parchment, from the husk. When the pulping process is completed, we have 

 the parchment coffee by itself in a cistern, and the next process consists in 

 getting rid of the mucilage with which it is covered." 



Having become assured, both by experiment and by Liebig's 

 reasoning, that the successive stages of decomposition were wholly 

 ascribable to the action of the stagnant air which occupies the 

 interstices between the beans, and taking into account that a mass 

 of coffee presented a medium pervious to air, it occurred to Mr. 

 Clerihew that it was possible, by means of fanners, working on 

 the exhausting principle, so to withdraw air from an enclosed 

 space as to establish a current of air through masses of coffee 

 spread on perforated floors forming the top and bottom of that 

 space. The plan he carried into execution at Eathgoongodde 

 plantation in 1849. No sooner was the plan put in operation 

 than, instead of stagnant air occupying the interstices of the beans 

 and gradually acting on them, a stream of air was established and 

 flowing through the mass of coffee, each bean of it became sur- 

 rounded by a constantly renewed atmosphere of fresh air. 



Java. When Arabia enjoyed the exclusive monopoly of coffee, 

 it could not be foreseen that one day the island of Java would 

 furnish for the consumption of the world from 125 to 130 millions 

 of pounds per annum. The cultivation was introduced by M. 

 Zwaendenkroom, the Governor- General of Batuvia, who obtained 

 seeds from Mocha, in 1723. According to official statements 

 the following are the exports. 



In 1839 there were exported 46,781,729 kilogrammes, valued 

 at 48 million florins. Eight years labor, 1833 to 1841, brought its 

 produce of coffee from 12 million kilogrammes annually, up to 

 55 millions. 



In 1846, the exports were 916,876 piculs, but, in 1850 they 

 were only 14,801 piculs. The total coffee crop of Java was in 

 1850, 1,280,702 Ibs,; in 1851, 1,436,17 libs. ; in 1852, 1,229,349 Ibs. 



