Report of Society's Meetings. 391 



Coffee is a good deal damaged and broken in cleaning, 

 and of all colours. We would suggest sending home 

 small parcels, well cured and dried in parchment that 

 can be cleaned here, taking great care that berries which 

 have fallen on the ground and thereby spoiled are not 

 mixed with the good berries, We should probably get a 

 much better result. 



Coffee, such as samples now before us, owing to the 

 very low prices now ruling for Santos and Rio descrip- 

 tions from Brazil, cannot possibly pay, but might eventu- 

 ally do so if cured and cleaned properly, in other words, 

 good and fine Coffees may keep up in value, and good 

 ordinary sorts remain very low. Our opinion is that if 

 a well cured sample could be produced it would bring 

 20J- to jo/- per cwt. more, say 60/- to 80/-. At present 

 there is no chance of Liberian going up, there is too 

 much Brazil. 



Have your friends thought of cultivating Cocoa? We 

 should recommend this if the ground is suitable. Present 

 prices range from 65/- to 75/- per cwt. and the prospects 

 are good, whereas except for fine Coffees the outlook is 

 not bright. 



We are, etc., 



(Signed) LEWIS & PEAT. 



On the motion of Mr. Messer, a vote of thanks was 

 accorded to Dr. Morris for the trouble he had taken in 

 the matter, the Secretary being directed to convey the 

 same. 



The Secretary read a circular from the Imperial Insti- 

 tute stating that a Commercial Reading Room had been 

 opened at the Institute, which was ordered to be laid on 

 the table. 



