THE SELECTION OF THE BEAN. 19 



somely in the hand, thus neglecting the far more important qual- 

 ity of flavor. 



There is no item which enters into the supply of our tables, 

 with which I am acquainted, unless it be butter, which is so easily 

 injured in flavor as coffee, or which exhibits such a tendency to 

 absorb surroimding odors. Yessels from Central and South 

 America often arrive vrith mixed' cargoes of coffee and hides, in 

 which the former has been almost ruined by absorbing the smeU 

 of the latter. Eoasting the coffee dissipates to some degree the 

 "hidey" smell, yet to an expert it is very perceptible, enough 

 remaining to destroy the delicate flavor of the volatile oil or 

 caffeone. The same effect is produced by the foul bilge-water 

 of vessels, and the extreme sensitiveness of coffee to surrounding 

 odors is further demonstrated by the readiness with which roasted 

 coffee absorbs the flavor of the wood when put in a pine box or bin. 

 Roasted coffee should never be long kept in anything except a 

 tightly closed tin box, or better yet, an air-tight glass or earthen 

 jar. 



Different varieties of coffee show a great diversity of flavor, 

 and even the same variety from different pa,rts of one district will 

 show like divergencies. Different seasons produce different qual- 

 ities ; indeed, there are as many kinds, qualities, and shades of 

 flavor of coffee as there are of tea, and in the latter these varia- 

 tions, as is well known, are almost numberless. 



In the review of coffee production I have indicated the va- 

 riety of kinds, qualities, and flavors which exists, and also, to some 

 extent, the vicissitudes to which even the best coffee is exposed 

 during the voyage of importation. Erom this it will be seen how 

 necessary it is for dealers to exercise great caution in selecting 

 their stocks. It is impossible to judge accurately of the quality and 

 strength of coffee without roasting and making an infusion with 

 boiling water, in a manner similar to that practised in drawing 

 tea, and yet, strange as it may seem, it is not customary, even with 

 the largest dealers, to judge of quality except by the general ap- 

 pearance of the berry. 



Before buying a large lot, wholesale dealers sometimes roast a 

 small quantity to see how it looks when roasted, but this is the 

 exception rather than the rule, and by far the larger portion of 



