20 OOFFEK 



all varieties of coffee are sold simply upon their appearance in the 

 hand. This oftentimes is exceedingly deceptive, for a bright, 

 large-beaned, handsome looking sample will sometimes turn out 

 to be woody and comparatively flavorless ; while another that, ac- 

 cording to the usual standard by which coffee is judged, would be 

 rated considerably lower in price, will, when roasted, prove to be 

 of very superior quality, greatly increasing in size during the 

 i-oasting process, and developing that delicious fragrance which 

 occasionally surprises and delights all lovers of a perfect cup of 

 coffee. 



It is quite within" the power of wholesale dealers to greatly 

 improve the quality of the coffee sold by them if they will care- 

 fully roast and try a portion of every considerable lot before buy- 

 ing it, refusing such as do not come up to a proper standard of 

 strength and fragi'ance, and especially avoiding lots which show 

 the least trace of any musty or foreign flavor. 



To some extent in producing countries, and also at the large 

 distributing points, an artificial appearance is given to the bean 

 by " sweating," " pohshing," or by the use of coloring matter. By 

 the first-named process Savanilla and other sorts (sometimes 

 Santos) are made to imitate Padang Java. Laguayra is polished 

 and sold for Kio. Yery dangerous powders or mixtures are used 

 to color the beans, the practice being resorted to. in order to 

 meet the prejudices of consumers in certain sections for a bright 

 yellow, black, or olive-green colored bean. These colors are 

 obtained by the use of poisonous compounds. The composi- 

 tion of these mixtures respectively, as proved by chemical 

 analyses, is as follows (Report Department Agriculture, 1879, 

 p. 79): 



Obanqe Powdbe. — Chromate of lead ("chrome yellow"), 1 

 part ; sulphate of barium (" heavy spar "), 2 parts. 



Black Powdee. — Consisted wholly of burnt bones ("crude 

 bone-black "). 



Olive-Gbeen Powder. — Chromate of lead (" chrome yellow "), 

 1 part ; bone-black, 3 parts ; sulphate of barium (" heavy spar "), 

 3 parts. 



Both the natural and the faced berries were examined, with 

 the result that every sample of the "improved" berries was found 



