COFFEE. 



71 



frequently turned w"]iile in this wet state, it is sure to germinate ; the berries first 

 swell, then a thin white spire issues from the seam, and on opening the berry 

 the young leaves will be actually seen formed inside, so rapid is the course of 

 vegetation. 



I am of opinion that coffee should not be housed till the silver skin begins to 

 start, when no danger can ensue ; for if a few M'et days should intervene, by 

 turning the coffee over in the house, and allowing a current of aii* to pass through 

 it, it will keep for weeks. It is at tbis stage that the parchment skin begins to 

 show itself, for at first it adheres to the inner kernel, but the heat of the sun 

 starts it from its hold and it separates : thus, on shaking a handful of the produce 

 it will be heard to rattle, a sure indication that the silver skin has risen from 

 the bean, without even threshing it to ascertain the fact. The bean is perfectly 

 white till the silver skin starts ; it then begins gradually to assume the dark, or 

 what is called the half-cured appearance. A good day's strong sun will then 

 half cure it, and by subsequent exposui-e the produce takes another stage, and 

 gradually loses the half-cured, and assumes a blue colour ; and when the produce 

 is properly euix-d and fit for the mill, not the slightest dark spot will be percep- 

 tible in the bean, but it will exhibit a horny blue colour. 



It is within my observation that coffee has been gathered from the field on 

 the Monday, and prepared for market on the Saturday, in a spell of dry weather; 

 but I have known it also to lie on the barbacues for as many weeks in contrary 

 weather, before it had gone through the same ordeal. With good weather and 

 smooth terraces whereon to cure, nothing but gross igniorance and unpardonable 

 carelessness can produce a bad quality of coifee. The difficulty arises in wet 

 weather, when one's skill and assiduity is called into action to save the produce 

 from being spoiled. After coffee has been half-cured, the putting it up hot at 

 an early period of the day has the effect of curing it all night. I have noticed 

 produce housed in this manner, and requiring another day's exposure to fit it 

 for the mill, found perfectly cured next morning. 



The barbacues sh(;uld be kept in good order — all ruts and holes neatly patched 

 every crop, for to them and other roughnesses is to be attributed the peeling of 

 the berries, their being scratched, and various injuries which the jn'oduce sustains. 

 And while on the subject of " Works," I cannot help noticing the extreme care- 

 lessness and inattention which, on visiting properties, the works and buildings 

 present to our view. It is utterly impossible to manufacture good produce un- 

 less the machinery and buildings are kept in good order ; and the parsimony 

 which is thus displayed in this necessary outlay is fallacious, when one thinks 

 of the result of one or two shillings per 100 lbs. lost on a crop thi-ough this 

 neglect. 



When the coffee is perfectly cured — which is generally ascertained by thresh- 

 ing out a few berries in one's hands, and seeing if it has attained its horny blue 

 colour — it is then fit for milling, which is the secoiid process of machinery which 

 it has to undergo. Here the parchment and silver skins are dislodged from the 

 berry, by means of the fricticn of a large roller passing over the produce in a 

 wooden trough. It is then taken out of the trough, and submitted to the fanner 

 or winnowing machine, when the trash is all blown away, and the coffee, pass- 

 ing through two or three sieves, comes away perfectly clean and partially sized. 

 From this it is again sieved in order to size it properly, hand-picked, put into 

 bags, and sent on mules' backs to the wha'f. It is then put into tierces and 

 sold in the Kingston market, or shipped to Britain. 



A variety of circumstances tend to injure the quality of the coffee, Avhich it 

 is beyond human agency to control. Dry weather intervening at the particular 

 period when the berry is getting full, subjects it to be stinted and shrivelled ; 

 and strong dry breezes happening at the same period, will cause an adhesion of 

 the silver skin which the ordinary process of curing and manufacture wiR not 

 remove. Late discoveries in the latter have, however, shown the possibility of 

 divesting the produce of that silvery appearance, when brought about under the 

 foregoing: circumstances. It is almost unnecessary to state that this improve- 

 ment in manufacture refers to the inventions of 5lessrs. Myers and Meacock, 

 whose respective merits have already undergone public revision. In reference 

 to Mr. Myers' plan of immersing coffee in warm Avutcr, I may Ijc allowed to 



