ROASTING THE BEAN. 25 



economical for retailers, as the use of macliinery and the division 

 of labor into specialties in this, as in many other branches of 

 trade, effects a far greater saving than is possible by individual 

 effort when not thus organized. 



Dealers should buy their roasted coffee in small quantities, 

 and this, with our extended modem facilities of communication 

 and transportation, is quite feasible. A supply sufficient to last a 

 week or ten days is enough to buy at a time, and if the dealer is 

 situated close to the "mill" or wholesale grocer, let him purchase 

 but half that quantity. Eoasted coffee loses in quality and aroma 

 from the moment it leaves the roaster ; hence it should be kept in 

 tightly closed receptacles (never in a wooden box or bin possessing 

 any odor, for, as remarked elsewhere, it is peculiarly susceptible 

 to surrounding odors) ; if exposed to the air its delicate fragrance 

 is rapidly dissipated. The above remarks also apply to consumers, 

 who wOl find that small and frequent purchases of freshly roasted 

 coffee give better satisfaction than larger quantities purchased less 

 frequently, and whatever quantity is purchased, it should be kept 

 in a glass or earthen jar, or a tightly closed tin canister. Recently, 

 roasted coffee packed in one-pound papers, has come into favor 

 with consumers, the reason for this doubtless being that large 

 dealers in coffee, possessing a thorough knowledge of the charac- 

 teristics of coffee produced in the various countries, and the fla- 

 vors which harmonize in blending, have succeeded in producing 

 grades adapted to the tastes of different sections where coffee is 

 largely consumed, and, doing business on a large scale, have been 

 able to secure the greatest uniformity of result, and consequently, 

 the utmost satisfaction to the consumer. Through being tightly 

 sealed in wrappers while fresh from the roaster, the aroma is the 

 more effectually preserved, while, in some instances, a preserv- 

 ative gloss is added with this object in view. Dealers prefer this 

 package coffee because there is no loss in weight, and the time 

 and labor of weighing and putting up are saved ; a child can hand 

 out a package of coffee where a man would otherwise have to be 

 employed, and the consumer also has that guarantee of correct 

 weight and uniformity of quality afforded by the transaction of 

 business on a large scale, where everything is reduced to an exact 

 system. 



