THE COST OF COFFEE. - 97 
COST OF COFFEE. 
(From the Ceylon Observer, February, 1871.) 
“ost oF CorFEE: Raw Aanp Roastep.—Amongst a 
bundle of papers laid by for consideration, we find a 
curious table published in the Produce Market Review, 
giving an ‘‘ Estimate of.the cost of 1 Ib. of coffee 
when roasted, calculated from a bonded price of 1és. 
per cwt. ‘The duty is taken at 3d. per lb., the cost 
of roasting at 33. per cwt., and the yield of roasted 
coffee from 1 cwt. of raw at 92 lb.” It thus ap- 
pears that the loss of weight in roasting coffee is no 
less than 20 lb., while on tea there is no such loss. 
This fact is, of course, taken into account by pvur- 
chasers, and ought to be calculated in comparing the 
value of tea and coffee for duty purposes. But, be- 
sides the loss in weight to the extent of nearly one- 
fifth, there is the cost of roasting to be deducted. 
We may safely therefore estimate the deduction in 
value at one-fifth, while tea is available just as it 
stands. Good quality coffee, therefore, in a condition 
ready for infusion, costs about the same as fair quali- 
ty tea, and the infusion is not so easily made. These 
are, doubtless, amongst the reasons why the consump- 
tion of coffee does not increase in Britain. The effect 
of low prices remains to be seen, if they are to go 
down as we fear. Cheap coffee would be at any rate 
a heavy blow and sore discouragement to chicory. 
In the table before us, all the prices below 40s. are 
scored out, for, when the paper reached our office at 
the end of last year, the possibility of anything lower 
than £2 per cwt. in bond in London was not con- 
templated. Let us hope that they may not occur, 
but to look at all eventualities let us commence at 
30s. 6d. At this rate per cwt. in bond the cost of 
1 lb. roasted coffee would be 8d.; it would be 83d, 
at 34s.; 94d. at 40s.; 10d. at 45s. 6d.; 103d. at 49s. 
6d.; lldd. at 55s.; 1s. at Gls; ls. 4d. at 65s.;° Is, 
14d. at 72s. 6d. (the price of good ordinary Ceylon 
on 29th August); and ce 2id. at 80s.; 1s. 3d. at 84s.; 
Is. 4d. at 91s. 6d.; 5d. at 993. 6d. It appears 
that the cost of a ‘bb. “of roasted coffee, best Ceylon 
or Mocha, is as high as that of very fair black tea, 
As prices go down, of course the disparity becomes 
greatly in favour of coffee. But the fall in price has 
not been confined to coffee: tea also has been affected 
by excessive importations. So that the race remains 
much as it was, as far as England is concerned. . Our 
hope is in the advancing consumption in America 
and on the continent of Europe, 
