66 



COFFEE. 



fine quality. This line also cuts directly through the Abyssinian 

 coffee districts which of old supplied Persia. 



The quality of Costa Eica coffee is considered excellent, and it is 

 principally shipped to Great Britain ; the following figures show the 

 exports at decennial periods : 



Cwts. Cwts. 



1845 70,000 1865 99,720 



1855 .. ... .. 70,709 1875 210,000 



The coffee crop of 1874, compared with that of the previous year, 

 was small, the quantity shipped amounting to about 200,000 cwts., or 

 a decrease of 2400 tons on the previous year's export : it was, however, 

 slightly above the average export for the previous five years. Coffee 

 is and must be the principal and almost only staple product of Costa 

 Kica, until a railroad enables it to compete with other countries in 

 sugar, cocoa, &c. The scarcity of labour is one great drawback, for 

 in many parts crops spoil on the trees for want of hands to gather 

 them. 



Guatemala. — Some thirty years ago considerable plantations of coffee 

 were made in different parts of this State, but the culture was abandoned 

 owing to the disturbances among the Indians ; of late years, however, 

 it has been resumed, and is making good progress. The greater part 

 of the plantations are situated in the neighbourhood of Coban. Coffee 

 will be in future the principal article of export, and to an extent and 

 importance scarcely yet to be' calculated. In 1860 only 63 tons were 

 shipped; in 1863 this had increased to 799 tons; in 1867, to 2000 

 tons. 



In Nicaragua coffee is grown in the Yalle Menier, the plantation of 

 the great Parisian chocolate firm ; but very little is as yet exported 

 from this State, some 400 or 500 lbs. only being shipped from Grey- 

 town. 



In the state of San Salvador a fair quality of coffee is grown ; the 

 exports in 1865 were to the value of 21,500Z., and that of the coffee 

 shipped from San Salvador in 1873 was about 215,000Z. 



In the state of Colombia, formerly New Granada, the coffee grown 

 is of excellent quality, especially at Ocama and Ambalima, but the 

 quantity produced is limited, and is chiefly sold for consumption in 

 the country. Our direct imports into Great Britain from New Granada 

 have averaged 20,000 cwts. in the four years ending 1875. 



In Ecuador attention has of late years been given to the culture, and 

 a very superior quality of coffee is produced. In 1855 only 776 cwts. 

 were shipped, but now eight times this quantity is exported. The 

 crop of coffee in 1874 was 10,652 cwts. The shipments via Guaya- 

 quil were in : 



Cwts. Cwts, 



1861 1,480 1871 4,082 



1865 1,810 1873 6,652 



Only a little over 1,000,000 lbs. were shipped in 1874. 



British Guiana. — In 1752 the cultivation of coffee was commenced 

 in Demerara, and one bag was exported ; in 1761, 45 tierces of coffee 



