396 



HISTORY OP THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



the fruit. For that purpose, when they remove 

 or transplant the tree, they make a trench three 

 feet wide, and five feet deep, which they line or 

 cover with stones, that the water may the more 

 readily sink deep into the earth with which the 

 trench is filled, in order to preserve the moisture 

 from evaporating. When they observe that there 

 is a good deal of fruit upon the tree, and that it 

 is nearly ripe, they turn off the water from the 

 roots, to lessen that succulency in the fmit which 

 too much moisture would occasion. In places 

 much exposed to the south, they plant their coffee 

 trees in regular lines, sheltered by a kind of 

 poplar tree, which extends its branches on every 

 side to a great distance, affording a, necessaiy 

 shade from the intense heat of the sun. The 

 seeds are known to be ripe when the hemes as- 

 sume a dark red colour, and if not then gathered 

 will drop from the trees. The planters in Arabia 

 do not pluck the fruit, but place cloths for its 

 reception beneath the trees, which tliey shake, 

 and the ripened berries drop readily. These are 

 afterwards spread upon mats and exposed t»> the 

 sun's rays, until perfectly dry, when the husk is 

 broken with large heavy rollers made either of 

 wood or of stone. The coffee thus cleared of 

 its husk is again dried thoroughly in the sun, 

 that it may not be liable to heat when packed 

 for shipment. 



The method employed in the West Indies 

 differs from this. Negroes are set to gatlier such 

 of the berries as are sufficientlj^ ripe, and for this 

 purpose are provided each with a canvas bag 

 having an iron ring or hoop at its mouth to keep 

 it always distended, and this bag is slung round 

 the neck so as to leave both hands at liberty. As 

 often as this bag is filled, the contents are trans- 

 ferred to a large basket placed conveniently for 

 the purpose. When the trees are in full iDear- 

 ing, an industrious man will pick three bushels 

 in a day. If more are gathered, proper care can 

 hardly be exercised in selecting only the berries 

 that are ripe. It is the usual calculation, that 

 each bushel of ripe berries will yield ten pounds 

 weight of merchantable cofi^ee. 



In curing coffee it is sometimes usual to ex- 

 pose the berries to the sun's rays in layers, five 

 or six inches deep, on a platform. By this means 

 the pulp ferments in a few days, and having thus 

 thrown off a strong acidulous moisture, dries 

 gradually during about three weeks : the husks 

 are afterwards separated from the seeds in a mill. 

 Other planters remove the pulp from the seeds 

 as soon as the berries are gathered. The pulp- 

 ing mill used for this purpose consists of a hor- 

 izontal fluted roller, turned by a crank and act- 

 ing against a movable breast board, so placed 

 as to prevent the passage of whole berries between 

 itself and the roller. The pulp is then separated 

 fi-om the seeds by washing them, and the latter 

 are spread out in the sun to dry them. Tt is 



then necessary to remove the membranous skin 

 or parchment, which is effected by means of 

 heavy rollers running in a trough wherein the 

 seeds are put. This mill is worked by cattle. 

 The seeds are afterwards winnowed to separate 

 the chaff, and if any among them appear to have 

 escaped the action of the roller, they are again 

 passed through the mill. 



The roasting of coffee for use is a process which 

 requires some nicety; if burned, much of the 

 fine aromatic flavour will be destroyed, and a 

 disagreeable bitter taste substituted. The roast- 

 ing is now usually performed in a cylindrical 

 vessel which is continually turned upon its axis 

 over the fire-place, in order to prevent the too 

 great heating of any one part, and to accomplish 

 the continual shifting of the contents. Coffee 

 should never be kept for any length of time after 

 it has been roasted, and should never be ground 

 until the moment of its infusion, or some por- 

 tion of its fine flavour will be dissipated. 



The quantity of coffee consumed in Europe is 

 very great. Humboldt estimates it at nearly 

 one hundred and twenty millions of pounds, about 

 one fourth of which is consumed in France. 

 Since the time that this estimate was made, a 

 vast increase has been experienced in the use 

 of coffee in England. This was at first occa- 

 sioned by the very considerable abatement made 

 in the rate of duty, and the public taste has 

 since been continually growing more and more 

 favourable to its consumption. 



More than sixty years ago, Dr Fothergill 

 strenuously urged this reduction of the duty, 

 predicting the increased consumption which has 

 actually occurred. 



Coffee possesses both an aromatic and narcotic 

 principle. The flavour and taste which at first 

 are both rather repulsive, become by habit 

 agreeable and grateful. Its effects are stimulat- 

 ing, soothing, and exhilarating, in a calm and 

 moderate degree, unlike the turbulent effects of 

 fermented liquors. It is more stimulating than 

 tea, and to some constitutions proves too heating 

 and exciting; in general, however, it is grateful 

 to the stomach, and seems to aid digestion if 

 taken an ho\ir or two after a fuU meal. It pos- 

 sesses little nutritive qualities in itself, though 

 conjoined with sugar and cream, it may be reck- 

 oned a nourishing drink. The addition of much 

 sugar, however, is apt to make the beverage dis- 

 agree with weak stomachs, and to cause acidity. 



Chocolate, or Cacao (theohroma cacao). 

 Natui-al family bi/ttneriacece ; polyadelphia, decan- 

 dria, Linnaeus. Linnaeus named this plant theo- 

 hroma, or "food for the gods," from the excellent 

 nature of its seeds. The Mexicans call the bev- 

 erage composed of the pounded seeds, chocolate. 



The tree is a very handsome one, about twelve 

 or sixteen feet high; the trunk is upright, and 

 about five feet long; the ^^■ood is light, and of a ' 



