COFFEE. 



53 



the process of pulpiug, or removal from the soft fleshy husk. Here 

 let Mr. Clerihew describe the adyantages for himself — 



" "When the coffee beny is picked from the tree it bears a closer resemblance 

 to a ripe cherry, both in size and appearance ; and several processes have to be 

 gone through befoie the article knovvn in commerce as coffee is produced. 

 In the first place, the pulpy exterior of the cherry has to be removed by the 

 process of pulping, "svhich separates the seed and its thin covering called the 

 parchment, from the husk. Vrhen the pulping process is completed, we have 

 the parchment coffee by itself in a cistern, and the next process consists in 

 getting rid of the mucilage with which it is covered." 



Ha™g become assured, both bj experiment and by Liebig's 

 reasoning, that the successive stages of decomposition were wholly 

 ascribable to the action of the stagnant air which occupies the 

 interstices between the beans, and taking into account that a mass 

 of coffee presented a medium pervious to air, it occurred to Mr. 

 Cleriliew that it was possible, by means of fanners, working on 

 the exhausting principle, so to withdraw air from an enclosed 

 space as to establish a current of air through masses of coffee 

 spread on perforated floors forming the top and bottom of that 

 space. The plan he carried into execution at Kathgoongodde 

 plantation in 184:9. Xo sooner was the plan put in operation 

 than, instead of stagnant air occupying the interstices of the beans 

 and gradually acting on them, a stream of air was established and 

 flowing through the mass of coftee, each bean of it became sui*- 

 rounded by a constantly renewed atmosphere of fresh air. 



J'ava. — When Arabia enjoyed the exclusive monopoly of coffee, 

 it could not be foreseen that one day the island of Java would 

 furnish for the consumption of the world from 125 to 130 millions 

 of pounds per annum. The cultivation was introduced by M. 

 Zwaendenkroom, the Governor- Greneral of Batavia, who obtained 

 seeds from Mocha, in 1723. According to official statements 

 the following are the exports. 



In 1839 there were exported 46,781,729 kilogrammes, valued 

 at 48 million florins. Eight years labor, 1833 to 1841, brought its 

 jDroduce of coffee from 12 million kilogrammes annually, up to 

 55 millions. 



In 1846, the exports were 916,876 piculs, but, in 1850 they 

 were only 14,801 piculs. The total coffee crop of Java was in 

 1850, 1,280,702 lbs. ; in 1851, 1,436,171 lbs. ; in 1852, l,229,349rDs. 



Eesidences in which this produce has been 

 cultivated in 1840 and 1841 . 



Kumber of families destined for the labor 



Trees which have yielded a crop 



Trees which have produced the average quan- 

 tity of a picul of 125 lbs. Dutch .... , . . . . 



Quantity of coffee furnished to the godowns 

 in piculs 



Trees according to the reckoning maie in the 



month of March, 1841 and 1842 | 336,922,460 



329,898,936 



