412 



:NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



From the Lancaster Gazelle. 



COFFEE. 



Amongst the many subjects of investigation, in 

 lliis age of improvement, we are glad to perceive 

 tliat those things which contribute their share in 

 strewing tlie path of life with flowers, and in steal- 

 ing from care many a moment of our lives, viz. : 

 " tliose things which are good for the noin'ishment 

 of the body" receive a due share of attention ; but 

 notvvithst'.iiding this it is wonderful to perceive 

 how many in these days, despising the light of 

 science, are still content to follow the customs 

 which have been handed down from generation to 

 generation until their origin has become lost in 

 the mist of ages ; who never take thought how 

 those things which they are daily preparing for 

 their comfort or luxury could be made better: who 

 go on from day to day in the same path wliich 

 their grandfathers and grandmothers trod before 

 them and regard any deviation from it as a sacri- 

 lege ; who denounce evei-y thing that is new only 

 because it is so, and without testing it by experi- 

 meiit. 



There is perhaps nothing amongst the luxuries 

 of the table which is so generally sj)oilt by this 

 negligence or willful ignorance, as coffee, than 

 which, when it is well prepared, notliing is more 

 delicious and refresiiing, and when ill managed, 

 more flat and insipid ; it is, in fact, as Ben Johnson 

 describes matrimony. 



Like Jeremiali's figs, 



V/hcii good 'iia very good indeed. 



When liad nol fil for pigs. 



To the lovers of it then, (and who that has ever 

 tasted its invigorating flavor, is not) every investi- 

 gation which will lead to any improvement in its 

 preparation, vvill be interesting ; for this reason v«e 

 hope we shall be pardoned for the length of the 

 following extracts upon this subject. 



" If you have ever seen a pot of coftee boiling 

 over a strong fire, you may recollect wiiat a fine 

 odour was spread over the liouse, — most delight- 

 ful to the smell, and giving " note of grateful pre- 

 paration" tj every eye and palate which may pre- 

 fer its rich, warm, brown color, to the thin watery 

 appearance of green tea. How woeful, then, must 

 the disappointment be, after all this anticipated en- 

 joyment of a delicious treat, when you find the cof- 

 fee in your cup — brown enough indeed, and thick 

 enough, — but tasteless, mawkish, and weak ; the 

 flavor and spirit all gone, and nothing remaining 

 of the real stuff", save the shadow, which mocks 

 fhe lip and palate with " unreal seeming,"- a flat, 

 flavorless, " baseless fabric of a vision ;" tfie very 

 corpse of a cup of good coffee — more likely to 

 plunge you deeper in drowsiness than to stir you 

 up into renewed life. 



It would be very hard, however, to blame the 

 eoflee, if you spoil it in the making — and tlie best 

 coffee that ever grew in Arabia and Berbice, will 

 be totally spoiled if you are barbarous enough to 

 boil it. Think for a moment, and common sense 

 ■•, ii! icl! you that the fine odour floating in the air, 

 ;ill over the house, must have come frowi the cof- 

 fee, and you could iiOt have the conscience to ex- 

 pect an odour in the air and flavor iu your cup at 

 the same lime. In one word, the best i)arts of 

 the cofl"ee, namely Jfs fine strong flavor, and sleep- 

 baiiishiag aroma, are .so spiritual and airy that 

 boiling drives them oft' instantly, aial what remains 

 m the pot is the mere dregs and refuse — heavy, 

 heartless and thick — fit only to be thrown to the 

 pigs or the dnnghill. 



We dishke all dogmatism, and ask you not to 

 take this on trust : we have no wish to set up our 

 authority in opposition to facts. Try it and learn 

 wisdom by experiment and experience. It would 

 be better, indeed, to give your hard earned pence 

 to the poor, than thus to waste them on the thank- 

 less air, by fiUing it with all the strongest and best 

 parts of your coffee, and leaving only "the ghost 

 of vanished sweets," for your own particular use. 

 But if we are not to boil our coffee, because it 

 wastes all the best of it, "what," you v.'ill ask, " are 

 we then to do ?" You recollect that the doctor, 

 who was asked a similar question, replied, " Take 

 advice." So say we. Be advised by us, and you 

 will have excellent coffee, at least for one half the 

 expense of those who fooUshly boil it. 



In the first place, then, you must buy a Rum- 

 ford coffee pot, or bigg^in, with strainers in it; and 



oil cannot aflford five, six, or seven shillings for 

 this you must give up the idea of coftee till you 

 can ; for it camiot be made either good or cheap 

 without. You will lose more money in a few 

 weeks, by boiling your coffee, and wastuig it hi 

 the air, than would buy you such a pot, which 

 would last you lor years. Your coflfee is to be 

 put into the upper strainer, boiUng water poiu'ed 

 over it, and as soon as it has rim through, it is 

 ready. If you do this rightly, it ought to be as 

 clear and high-coloured as brandy, and of a fine 

 strong flavour ; that is supposing you use a mix- 

 ture of one half Mocha or Turkey coffee, and one 

 half Berbice or Bourbon, which is better than 

 either singly. You must not forget, also, to boil 

 the milk (cream if you have it) which you put with 

 your coftee, for cold mi\k or cream will spoil the 

 best coftee ever prepared. 



"The roasting of the berry to a proper degree, 

 requires great nicety. If it be underdone, its vir- 

 tues will not be imparted, and in use it will load 

 and oppress the stomach ; if it be overdone, it will 

 yield a flat, burnt, and bitter taste ; its virtues will 

 be destroyed, and in use it will heat the body, and '■ 

 act as an astringent. The closer it is confined at 

 the time of roasting, and till used, the better will 

 its volatile pungency, flavor, and virtues, be pi'e- ; 

 served. 



"The influence which coftee, judiciously pre- 

 pared, imparts to the stomach, from its invigorat- 

 ing qualities, is strongly exemplified by the imme- 

 diate eifect produced on taking it when the stom- 

 ach is overloaded with food, or nauseated with 

 surfeit, or debihtated by intemperance, or languid 

 from inanition. 



" Du Four relates an extr.aordinary instance of 

 the effect of coffee in tlse gout ; he says, Mons. De- 

 vercau was attacked witii the gout at twenty five 

 years of age and had it severely until he was up- 

 wards of fifYy, with chalk stones in the joints of 

 his hands and feet ; he was recommended the use 

 of coftee, which he adopted, ami had no return of 

 the gout. 



" A small cup or two of cofleo immediately af- 

 ter dinner promotes digestion. 



" With a draught of water previously diiuik, ac- 

 cording to the eastern custom, coffee is serviceable 

 to those who are of a costive habit." 



The generality of the English famiUcs make 

 their coftee too weak, and use too much sugar, 

 Vvhich often causes it to turn acid on the stomach. 

 Almost evpi-y housekeeper has a pecuUar method 

 of malting coffee ;but it never can be excellent, un- 

 less it bo strong of the berry, any more than our 

 English wines can bo good, so long as we contin- 



July 18, 1828 . 



ue to form the principal of them on sugai- and wat- 

 er. 



Count Rumford says, " coffee may be too bitter, 

 but it is impossible that it should ever be too fra- 

 grant. The very smell of it is revivmg, and has 

 often been found to be useful to sick persons, and 

 to those who are afflicted with the head-ache. In 

 short, every thing proves that the volatile, aromat- 

 ic matter, whatever it may be, that gives flavor to 

 coffee, is what is most valuable in it, and should 

 be preserved with the greatest care, and that in 

 estimating the strength or richness of that bever- 

 age, its fragrance should be much more attended 

 to, than either its bitterness or astringency. This 

 aromatic substance which is supposed to be oil, is 

 extremely volatile, and escapes into the air with 

 great facility, and is observed by its filling the room 

 with its fi-agrance, if suftered to remain uncovered, 

 and at the same time losing much of its flavor." 

 Phillips^ Histoi-y of Vegetables. 



NEW EDITION OF CLEAVELAND'S MIN- 

 ERALOGY. 



Prof. Cleaveland, of Bowdoin College, is pre- 

 paring a third edition of his valuable work on 

 Mineralogy and Geology. This indicates a steady 

 progress in the interesting science of which the 

 book treats. The mineral riches of a country are 

 of vast importance to its prosperit)'. To be of 

 the greatest use, however, they must be thorough- 

 ly known ; this can be efli-cted but by a strict at- 

 tention to the science which describes them, and 

 a proper consideration of the particular items 

 whicii serve to make up the whole. Prof. C. is 

 desirous of obtaining all the localities not describ- 

 ed in his last edition. A letter from him says — 



" I wish to connect with the account of the Lo- 

 cality some brief Geological notice, viz : whether 

 the mineral occurs in veins, or in beds, or is dis- 

 seminated — the associated minerals — and the roclc 

 which contains them. In most cases, the form, 

 structure, and prevaihng colour of the mineral 

 may be mentioned. 



" I also wish to obtain as accurate information, 

 as possible, in regard to all minerals explored foi- 

 useful or ornamcrdal purposes, such as Nitre, Com- 

 mon Salt, Mai-ble, Marl, Gypsum, Precious Stones, 

 Steatite, Roof Slate, Clays, Pigments, Anthracite, 

 Graphite, Coal, Ores of the metals, Porphyry, &c. 

 and also certain articles manufactured from min- 

 erals, such as Alum, Copjjeras, Chromate of Lead, 

 &c. The quantity of the aforementioned sub- 

 stances annually obtained or manufactured, the 

 quality including the per cent, of metal yielded by 

 ores, and the price are particularly rotjuested. I 

 am desirous, that the localities should he so des- 

 cribed, that they may be found without difficulty. 

 In addition to the name of the town, a few words, 

 referring the locality to some point or object, well 

 known in that vicinity, will be sufficient." — JVetf 

 England Farmers'' and Mechanics' Journal. 



Boston jllhtnwum Galkri/. — This interesting and 

 popular Exhibition closed on Tuesday last. The 

 season tickets sold amounted to 5133. The entire 

 receipts of the season to over $3800. The expcn- 

 .scs have been short of $1000. — Ccniinel. 



The Corporation of Baltimore have laid a duty 

 on Dogs — two dollars on every male, and ten on 

 every female. They have also forbidden all per- 

 sons to bring dogs into the market place, during 

 market hours. The latter strikes us as an excel- 

 lent provision. 



