COFFEE. 



67 



were shipped, find in 1764, 211 bags. The following were the exports 

 in some later years : 1773, 1001 tierces ; 1775, 2317 tierces. In 1796 

 the colony was taken possession of by the British, and in 1803, 

 9,954,610 lbs. of colfee were shipped ; in 1823, the exports of coffee 

 were 8,008,729 lbs. After this the cnlture began to fall off; com- 

 paring 1829 with 1839, there was a deficiency in the latter year of 

 2,139,430 lbs. of coffee. The gradual decline in production is shown 

 by the following figures giving the exports : 



l.bs. 



1830 9,472,756 



1840 3,357,300 



1849 100,550 



In Frencli Guiana coffee was at one time an important staple, the 

 species grown being the Mocha variety, for the cultivation of which 

 the country is especially adapted ; it is now chiefly grown as a shade 

 tree to cocoa, annatto, and other crops, but a few Government planta- 

 tions are maintained. The average production, as shown below, is 

 scarcely 100,000 lbs. a year : the shipments in 1874 were only 2028 lbs., 

 and in 1875 but 752 lbs. This valuable product, the British consul at 

 Cayenne tells us, is not, however, quite lost ; although temporarily 

 abandoned, the trees continue to thrive in a wild state, and may be 

 reclaimed hereafter. They attain a height of about fifteen or six- 

 teen feet, with a circumference a few feet from the ground of thirty 

 inches ; they are rich in foliage, but do not flower ; the coffee tree 

 here also appears to be safe from the ravages of insects, whereas many 

 other trees suffer vitally from this evil. 





Kilogs. 





Kilogs. 



1861 



50,000 



1869 ,. 



.. .. 135,614 



1865 .. 



, . 64,436 



1870 



, 60,079 



1866 ,, 



73,27 



1871 ,, 



, . , . 57,433 



1867 ,, 



,, .. 107,424 







1868 ,. 



60,463 



1874 



.. 40,028 



In Surinam the produce is only about 500,000 lbs. 



In Bolivia coffee is grown in the whole extent of the Yungas, and 

 of forms and varieties not generally known ; it is best when raised on 

 the flanks of the mountains. In the plains the berry increases in 

 size, but loses flavour ; when grown on higher elevations it decreases 

 in size, but improves in quality. The Yungas coffee is so highly 

 esteemed that it is considered equal, if not superior, to Mocha. 



Peru. — Coffee grows with extraordinary luxuriance in the mountain 

 regions of Peru ; the activity of its vegetation is wonderful, the branches 

 are borne down indeed with the weight of the numerous berries. 



Venezuela. — The best coffee grows in the cooler portion of the 

 State, and the crop is gathered in October. The production is about 

 600,000 cwts. annually. 



With respect to what may be considered as the yearly yield of 

 coffee per tree in Venezuela, as compared with Brazil and Ceylon, its 

 principal rivals in the staple, up to 1858, it was generally considered 

 that the average might be put down at half a pound per tree ; but 



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