3 



meat when washed should have a white, and milky appearance, then it should be removed and dried 

 on coir matting, or well polished barbacues, until it becomes as hard as horn, and brittle when broken 

 by the teeth. , 



Milling and Curing for Market. 



The process of " milling" is the next operation to be gone through ; after that is completed next 

 comes " winnowing," which blows away tbe parchment skin ; then it is passed through the sizer, and 

 by it divided into three classes or sizes, Nos. 1, 2 and 3, then it is handed over to the women to be 

 " picked for market," they take out all cut, and in any way bad or injured beans, known in commerce 

 as triage* A final putting back into the mill for polishing is generally done, which much improves 

 the look of the coffee. The women get one shilling a day for picking 1 121bs, or one cwt. Plantation 

 coffee is usually shipped in tierces or barrels, many planters sell the triage in Kingston in preference 

 to sending it home, Unless there happens to be a very good market. Settlers' coffee is usually shipped 

 in ba^s, often in the American fruit, and sugar carrying steamers, a system believed by coffee planters 

 to be not likely to enhance its quality. 



Transport. 



Transport is one of the greatest difficulties in the Blue Mountain Districts. The coffee has to be 

 sent on mules' back to the nearest cart road, and thence in drays to Kingston, where it is usually 

 casked preparatory for final shipment to Liverpool or London, the former market is considered best 

 for the highest qualities, and London for the lowest. 



HOME AND COLONIAL TOBACCO CULTURE. 



Offer of Prizes. 



Two prizes of 50 guineas each are offered by the Tobacco Trade Section of the London Chamber 

 of Commerce, to be awarded respectively for the best specimen of tobacco grown in the United King- 

 dom, and for that produced in India, or in any of the British colonies and possessions. 



These prizes are given as a means of definitely ascertaining how far the above sources of production 

 can add to the supply of tobacco suitable for the English market, and to what extent, if any, these 

 growths can compete in quality and price with those of foreign countries, from which the consumption 

 of the world has hitherto been chiefly drawn. 



It is with this object that the following conditions have been formulated, as applicable to the 

 competition which is invited, and they are such as are thought the most expedient for the purpose in view. 



Conditions. 



1. The Tobacco Trade Section of the London Chamber of Commerce shall, for the purpose of 

 deciding on the merit of the specimens competing for the prizes, appoint a jury of experts, who will 

 be assisted by recognised scientific authorities. 



2. Each specimen submitted for the competition shall consist of a minimum quantity of tobacco, 

 grown on a commercial scale, and therefore not less than 4001bs. in weight. 



3. Each sample shall embrace an average of the growth, and not consist alone of leaf picked 

 from a larger quantity than that which is submitted to the jurors. It is nevertheless desirable 

 that the leaf should be assorted in the usual way into sizes or colours, separately packed, each 

 sort being left in its natural proportion to the bulk. 



4. The name of the grower and the locality and total quantity of the growth to be stated. 

 In the case of British grown tobacco, it is requisite that the approximate quantity per acre, the 

 cost of production and similar particulars be given on the demand of the jurors. These details 

 may be required as a means of their making a report on the yet doubtful question as to the possi- 

 bility of growing tobacco in Great Britain, such as in quality relatively to price can compete with 

 that of other countries. 



5. The specimens not grown in the United Kingdom shall be submitted for competition in 

 London, and in the bonded warehouses of either the Victoria, the London and St. Katherine's, 

 the East and West India Docks, or other bonded warehouse. Specimens of British grown tobacco 

 will only be admitted under bond at the Haydon Square bonded warehouse.. 



6. The tobacco grown in the United Kingdom shall be sent for inspection on or before the 

 1st March, 1888, and that of other places on or before the 1st of December of the same year. 



7. The jury shall reserve the right to require an independent verification of the locality and 

 total quantity of growth in all cases where they think it desirable, and in awarding the prizes 

 shall be at liberty to take into consideration the care bestowed on the handling, sorting and pack- 

 ing the tobacco for commercial purposes. 



Note. — In order to ensure its keeping qualities, and for reasons connected with the duty, it 

 cannot be too strongly recommended to growers that the moisture of the tobacco submitted for 

 competition should not exceed 15 per cent, as ascertained by the usual scientific test. 



All communications to be addressed to the Secretary, London Chamber of Commerce (Incor- 

 porated), 84 & 85, King William Street, London, E.C. 



AMERICAN FRUIT EVAPORATOR. 



Coffee — Mr. John MacLean, Cold Spring, and Mr. Marshall, Chester Yale, imported one of 

 these Machines (N°0), for the purpose of testing its value in drying Coffee. They cured a certain 

 amount with this small machine in a single day, but were of the opinion that the berries were " over 



