ROASTING AND GLAZING. I93 



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over it so as to completely surround it, but leaving an 

 intervening space between it of about three inches, the 

 object of which is to secure the full power of the heat, 

 which being so confined circulates completely around the 

 globe, the retention of the vapor under this high pressure 

 preserving to a still greater degree the aroma of the 

 coffee. The application of the heat by this method is 

 very uniform, while the motion of the globe distributes 

 the beans equally about the interior and thus removes 

 any possible chance of scorching. 



The roasting process also usually develops in many 

 coffees more or less whitish beans, technically termed 

 " quakers " but more properly " blights," bemg in reality 

 blighted or immature beans, which, having ripened to an 

 extent on the tree and after obtaining a certain growth 

 cease to draw further nutriment from it, thus failing to 

 develop into healthy fruit. These peculiar beans detract 

 considerably from the value of the coffee, and cannot always 

 be detected in the natural state except by experts and 

 others accustomed to the constant handling of raw coffee, 

 but in the roasted condition their real character is unmis- 

 takably shown, presenting as they do a yellowish-white 

 color, totally devoid of the moisture, oil and flavor so 

 characteristic of the healthy bean. They exist to a much 

 greater extent in some varieties more than others, most 

 notably in lowland and coast-grown coffees — in mild 

 grades more than strong — the only kinds most unaffected 

 being mountain-grown and " washed " coffees, the 

 blighted beans in the latter rising to the surface in the 

 process of washing and carried off by the water. Some 

 authorities contend that these " blights " or " quakers " 

 in coffee instead of being, as might be naturally expected, 

 detrimental or injurious to its drinking qualities really 

 improve it by softening or mellowing what may otherwise 



