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` Liberian or Monrovia coffee is a native m Upper and Lower Guinea, 
and was cultivated on the West Coast of Africa in several localities 
before it attracted any notice in Europe. T was first introduced as a 
cultivated plant into the Royal Gardens, Kew, in 1872. It was largely 
owing to the action of this lakanen that Liberian coffee, within a 
short - period, was w idely preme for vibrant: Dip through- 
out British possessions in the tro 
Particulars respecting the distribution of Liberian coffee plants from 
Kew, and the early history of its culture im different pu. of the 
world, are given in the Kew Reports every year from 1872 to 1882. 
It is well known that the successful cultivation of palate coffee is 
testricied to hilly or mountainous districts, and that only in such 
districts will the produce attain its highest value. The Liberian coffee, 
on the other hand, being a native of the comparatively low hills of 
West Tropical Africa, i is suited to hotter conditions than the Arabian 
coffee, and it ean be diii e cultivated in distriets quite unsuited 
to the latter. In this lies the chief merit of the new coffee. 
s a commercial article Liberian coffee has not hitherto proved so 
and pulpy when ae but remain hard and fibrous. Hence it has been 
found difficult to husk the beans, as the machinery fond. suitable for 
preparing Arabian coffce is not applicable to the Liberian eoffee. 
Again the « M skin in the latter is tough and woo dy, and the 
labour and percentage of waste entailed in “cle eaning" is increased, 
while the aetual mae value is less. Probably, also, in the enlilvation 
prefers a warm, moist climate with abundant rains well distributed 
through the year. 
Should the present high price of coffee be maintained it is not un- 
likely that the cultivation of Liberian. coffee w prove sufficiently 
remunerative to warrant further attention being pa it. 
e understand that in Java the Liberian coffee ihe ios are fermented 
ven they are pulped. It is claimed that this process enables the 
cleaned much more readily, and that the coffee witinantely 
podiet: is brighter in colour and of better quality. 
This, if — is a fact of some importance to the growers of 
Liberian co 
: We hav o Beek led to make the foregoing remarks and review the 
present porion of Liberian coffee owing to a ve ery fine sample of this 
coffee which lately reached us Mi Malacca, and upon which is based 
the following correspondence : 
Mr. R. Derry, Forest. Department, Malacca, to Royan, GanpExs, Kew. 
Malacca, 50 July, 1 
“I am sending you per steamship “Ajax” (Ocean Steam Ship Com: 
coffec 
So far, no Malacca coffee has been shipped to Europe. I should be 
glad to learn the value of the samples sent, kind whether Malacca coffee 
would be likely to meet with a market at home, 
- R. Derry. s 
