October i, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
229 
confirmed this experience. I took some beans with me 
ot San Francisco, where Prof. Langwert, at my request, 
made several experiments with the best success.' 
"In the " Alta California " and " London Lancet " 
reports have been published on the medical virtues of 
the Oedron-bean. A Oedron-tincture of a quarter bean 
and two ounces of alcohol in doses of 15 to 20 drops 
twice a day is very effective in cases of obstinate gout. 
" The natives of Central America also affirm that in 
no case of hydrophobia a fatal termination occurs, the 
remedy being an infusion of the Oedron-bean. Kven 
dogs have been observed gnawing occasionally at the 
bean. The matter deserves serious investigation. 
' Zeitschrift dee deutschen Apotheker- Vereins.' " 
Read also note on " Simaba Cedron," published at p. 
52 of Christy's New Commercial Plants and Drugs, 
No. 9. 
* 
IS COFFEE CONSUMPTION DECREASING ? 
Racine, O., June 6th, 1886. 
Editor, American Grocer. 
In these days, when the boom iu coffee is rapidly en- 
riching every importer and speculator, and when al- 
most every wholesale grocer has become a bull in the 
coffee market, it is high time the retailer was looking 
well to the future of coffee. 
According to the statement of B. G. Arnold, the 
consumption of coffee had, owing to low prices, ad- 
vanced from 4J lb. to 9;'- lb. per capita in this country, 
and this, together with a shortage of one-fourth in the 
crop, has caused the unprecedented advance in greens 
from 8 to 22c for Fair cargoes. 
Now, if cheap coffee caused an increase in the con- 
sumption of 1U0 per cent, does it not stand to reason 
that very dear coffee will cause a corresponding de- 
crease iu consumption ? 
Does not every retailer notice a marked falling off in 
his sales of coffee ? 
Our experience is that we are not selling more that 
one-half as much coffee as three months ago, but the 
ales of tea havo largely increased. 
It is therefore our belief that we, as retailers should 
buy coffee from hand to mouth, but should keep 
well stocked iu teas. 
We should like to ask, through your columns, 
whether the experience of other retail dealers through- 
out the country, regarding the decrease in the sales 
ot coffee, correspond 'with ours. 
It seems to us that a clear view of the effect on 
consumption of the present high prices of coffees can 
be best and most quickly obtained by an exchange of 
retail dealers' views on this subject, and we know full 
well that if the consumption of coffee falls off 40 
or 50 per cent the present price of coffee cannot 
be maintained. — Yours truly, W. A. Kli.is & Co. 
Undoubtedly periods of low prices have stimulated 
the consumption of coffee- Other causes operate, as 
wlu-n the civil war reduced consumption 200,000 lb. 
causing the per capita consumption iu this country to 
drop to 2.2 lb in 1863, in 186-1 to I). 7 lb and iu 1865 
to 2.4 lb. In 1866 and 1867 it rose to 5 lb, thou the 
next three years to a little over (i lb ; in 1871 to 7.0 lb., 
averaging a little over 7 lb for the next nine years — a 
period of high prices — after which, under the stimulus 
of lower prices, it rose to 8.8 lb. in 1880 and remained 
botweon 8 and 0 lb. until 188 1, when it advanced to a 
fraction over 0 lb. reaching 0J lb. iu 1885, when Fair 
to prime cargoes of Brazil coffee averaged 0 cents for 
the yoar, the lowest price made since 18:">2. In lHOU 
the average yearly price of Pair to prime coffeo was 
from !i; to 11 J cents. In lS7:i ami 1S7I prices were 
19.40 to 21.02 cente. and 10.71 and 21.08 cents respec- 
tively. - 
On general principles cheap coM'ce tends to increase 
consumption, while high-priced enll'ee reduces the 
demand, as it causes the poorer clu.-cs to gi\e 
up coffee and use ton, aud because it put a 
premium on the pushing by the retailer of the 
salo of coffeo mixtures, which afford a much bet- 
ter profit. Tken Ims been, thus far iu 1887, an 
average moi.tbly decline ot nearly ft, 006 tons iu the 
onmiuiptiun, the details of which were giveu in the last 
issue of the American Grocer, Undoubtedly the policy 
which you suggest of buying for actual requirements 
only is the safest for all dealers. We have in course 
of preparation an artcle showing the position of coffee 
throughout the world for several years past. Un- 
doubtedly a point has been reached where consumption 
is in excess of last year's production, the deficiency 
being met in the accumulations of former years. We 
believe that for the next few years a higher range of 
prices will prevail than from 1882 to 1886, inclusive. 
Present extreme figures are wholly the result of specul- 
ative manipulation, and in our opinion are unwarranted 
by the facts. AVe must recognize, however that specul- 
ators are rarely governed in their operations by the 
actual situation. It is largely a question of manipul- 
ation and who has the longest purse. 
We will be very glad if our readers will act upon 
your suggestion and give us their experiences as to the 
effect of high prices upon consumption, aud also 
whether they have advanced retail prices as fast and to 
the same extent as they have risen in the wholesale 
market. 
Postscript — Since the above was written the bulls 
have bpen routed, and coffee forced down several cents 
per pound. 
♦ 
THE CEYLON COURT AT LIVERPOOL 
EXHIBITION. 
Despite the statement of an enthusiastic writer 
on Ceylon, that " there is no island in the world, 
Great Britain itself not excepted, that has attracted 
the attention of authors in so many distant ages 
and so many different countries as Ceylon," we 
are afraid that the general public of this home- 
country, which owns it as a colony, have but 
little idea of what a magnificent possession it is. 
They may connect it in their minds with extensive 
jungles in which the colossal elephant reigns 
monarch of all it surveys, and, possibly, they may 
have read that in its encircling seas " pearls lie 
deep ;" but much further their information has 
not reached. 
To those, therefore, who desire,to extend know- 
ledge of an island of singular fascination, and of 
great commercial interest at the present moment, 
we would recommend a visit to the Ceylon Court 
of the Liverpool Exhibition, where there is to be 
seen a representative collection of the most notable 
products of the island, together with many exhibits 
illustrative of its manners und customs. 
Tea — that article of universal necessity and enjoy- 
ment with us — is the main exhibit, and the story of 
its introduction into and cultivation in Ceylon is one 
of the romances of resourceful perseverance. Up to 
about a dozen years ago, coffee was the main article of 
export from the island ; but, then, an ineradicable 
fungus attacked the plant, and eventually rendered it 
all but fruitless. At first the blight mainly pre- 
sented itself in alternate years, but rapidly bad 
crops became the rule to such an extent that an 
export of 1,000,000 hundredweights in 1870-7 fell 
off to one-fifth a few years later, and the colon- 
ists had to face the fact that if they were not 
utterly to succumb to dire calamity, thoy must 
find v. substitute for the article of agricultural 
production which had for long years been their 
staple dependence. They set about this with com- 
mendable energy, perseverance, and determination. 
The West Indies was visited, the American cin- 
chona forests were explored, the tea districts of 
India were laid under contribution for knowledge, 
and the result was a variety of experiments which 
proved more or less successful, The main things 
relied on were cardtinuuns ciuchouu, uud lea. 
