No. 144.] 175 



fusion with milk in the evening as a restorative after the business 

 of the day. I find from it immediate relief from hunger and fa- 

 tigue, my bodily strength increased, and my mind left clear and 

 in full possession of all its faculties for the evening. On its first 

 use, and when the leaf has not been properly roasted, it is said 

 to produce vigilance (wakefulness), but I am inclined to think 

 that this is not the case, but that it merely adds strength and ac- 

 tivity to the mental faculties rather than a nervous- excitement. 

 I do not recollect the effect on myself but once, and then the 

 leaves were not properly roasted. The natives universally pre- 

 fer the leaf to the berry, giving, as a reason, that it contains more 

 bitter than the berry, and is more nutritious. In the lowlands 

 the coffee tree is not planted for the berry, not being sufiiciently 

 productive, but about their houses for the leaves only. They 

 every where prefer the leaf to the berry, and only when leaves 

 are scarce do they mix berries with them. They roast the leaves 

 over a clear fire of bamboo that there may be no kreosote or 

 smoke on the leaves. (Our coffee roasters would do them brown 

 better still. — H. Meigs.) The price of prepared leaves here is 

 li pennies a pound=3 cents. The sample sent by Mr. Ward ar- 

 rived in London in excellent condition. It appeares to have been 

 carefully prepared; consists of tolerably regular fragments of 

 leaves mixed with pieces of stalks, color deep brown, odor like 

 mixed tea and coffee, extremely fragrant. 



CLIMATE OF MADRID, SPAIN. 



[Annales de la Societe Imperiale D'Horticulture de Paris, 1854.] 



Summary of Meteorological Observations made at Madrid in 1852. 

 By Mr. Vie, Gardener of Her Majesty the Queen of Spain. 



1S52. 



January. — 19^ Centigrade^to nearly 65° Fahrenheit, greatest 

 heat of the month. Greatest cold, 6° Centi.=about 41° Fah. 

 Clear, 14 days; cloudy, 13; sky covered, 8; rain, 1; fog, 5. 

 Wind prevailing from N. W. 



February.— Greatest heat, 76=^ Fah. ; least heat, 47". Clear, 

 14 days; cloudy, 13; rainy, 2. Prevailing winds north. 



