476 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [January 2, 1888. 
of these gentlemen. The invitation, I confess, appeared 
to be issued more in the interests of the manufacturers 
of wood-cutting tools than in those of timber ex- 
porters, and I do not think British Guiana lost much 
by not having put in an appearance. 
In conclusion, I trust that these extracts may prove 
interesting and of some value. All that I can claim 
to have done is to have picked out from the .Reports, 
what I considered of value to the readers of 
Timehri. 
I think that from these Reports one may learn 
much of what is wanted by consumers in England, 
and (which may be of equal value) — what is not 
wanted. It is better to discourage undertakings which, 
however, promising and attractive to an enterprising 
colonist desirous of tapping new sources of profit, 
nevertheless belong " to the long list of the unprofit- 
able." It is woll to know what is wanted, and 
then to see how this colony can supply that want 
easily, and cheaply. All this requires study, and 
knowledge of markets, and acquaintance with technical 
modes of analysis and valuation. These are not 
always possessed by the producer or collector : often 
are they ignored by the commercialist on the other 
side, who is only anxious to secure a new customer, 
and to speculate with some new product. It is de- 
pressing, no doubt, to feel difficulty in developing the 
resources of one's land : it is, however, more discourag- 
ing to see time, energy, and capital all thrown away 
upon some unsuitable, or comparatively useless product 
for want of previous enquiry. 
The Society of which Timehri is the Journal, can, 
it is true, aid greatly in supplying this necessary inform- 
ation ; but it may be suggested that our Colonial 
Government could more easily institute enquiries, and 
foster experiments with respect to our undeveloped 
refources — and this would probably be no unprofit- 
able investment of Colonial Revenue. 
The following are the reports, written for Mr. Haw- 
tayne, on the subjects specified: — 
BRITISH GUI AN & COFFEE. 
38, Mincing Lane, B., 13th Nov., 1886. 
I have carefully examined, roasted, and tasted the 
samples of the British Guiana coffee you have been 
kind enough to send me, and I now have the pleasure 
of giving you my report upon them: — 
No. 15, marked ordinary, J. P. Murphy, is a rather 
small, pale, even and nicely picked coffee, clean in taste, 
but thin and weak. Value 58s. to 60s per cwt. 
Sample marked Colonial Co., Pin. Mara, is a bold 
pale yellowish even sample, clean and pure tasted, but 
wanting in strength. Value 63s. 
No. 16, marked N.G.D. Elephant, is a common dull 
brownish Liberian, it roasts badly, and taste badly, oily, 
and unclean. Value 45s. 
Sample marked N.G.D., 0. Arahica, pale greenish 
native kind, good size but bricky and tasting like 
Santos. Value 58s. 
No. 17, Liberian, W. Smith, appears to be a mixture 
of pale native kind, and of the ordinary Liberian sort, 
it has a common oilv taste though not so bad as No. 16. 
52s. 
The Liberian samples are so common, and roast and 
taste so badly, that I cannot sufficiently caution your 
colonists against growing this sort. It sells fairly well 
now, owing to the great reduction in the stocks of coffee 
and the rising tendency of the article, but with a full 
supply of Liberian (which I am afraid we shall see be- 
fore long, as everyone seems to have been going for it,) 
I have no hesitation in saying that Liberian will be- 
come very difficult of sale, and that prices will go down 
materially, even if other sorts keep their value. There 
is an oiliness in Liberian which, when roasted, becomes 
most offensive to smell and taste. 
The N.G.D., C. Arahica, the ordinary, J. P. Murphy, 
and the J'ln. Mara are a very successful class of coffee ; 
the firKt seems to have suffered a little in preparation 
but has all the elements of goo 1 coffee, and with good 
preparation would probably be greener and nicer look- 
ing, and might be worth 5/ to 8/ per cwt. more ; the 2nd 
and 3rd are nice looking, well picked, the Pin. Mara, 
especially, of very good size. 
I think planters should be warned that sugar is an 
enemy to coffee in ail its stages frum its growth to its 
preparation, and the utmost care should be taken 
to keep the two at a distance from each other; espe- 
cially in shipping coffee, care must be taken not to put 
it in the same vessel which earries sugar, as the efflu- 
vium from the sugar almost invariably ruins the coffee 
which is in the same part of the vessel. The Royal Mail 
Steamers alone can be trusted, as care is taken, if any 
sugar is on board, to place the coffee in a totally 
different part of the vessel ; this is a matter of very 
great importance. 
If there are no appliances to peel and prepare the 
coffee for shipment at Georgetown or on the estates, 
I would recommend planters to send their produce to 
London in parchment. The pulp, of course, must be 
removed ou the estate as quickly after picking and as 
carefully as possible, and the parchment must be per- 
fectly clean and dry : when in that state, it can be 
sent to London, not only without risk, but with the 
certainty that it will preserve the berry during the 
voyage. Highly successful and encouraging experi- 
ments have been made here during the present year, 
which show that coffee peeled and sized in London 
has kept its colour and quality extremely well, and 
has so far, in every case, realised more than the same 
kind of coffee prepared and peeled abroad. Suitable 
machinery has beeu put up at "Red Lion Wharf " 
and at " Metropolitan Wharf ," and I believe that 
some of the Dock Companies contemplate erecting 
similar works. 
I trust that the above remarks may be of some in- 
terest, and perhaps of use to the planters in your 
colony. H. Pasteuh. 
BEITISII GUIANA COCOA. 
Mincing Lane, London, 18th Nov., 1886. 
It is with much pleasure I hand you a report upon 
the samples of Cocoa exhibited in the British Guiana 
Court. 
They at once attracted my attention from their re- 
markable quality and fine growth. No other cocoa 
in the Exhibition could compete with them except 
Trinidad, to which they bear great resemblance. 
It seems to me that the soil and conditions of tem- 
perature and climate must be quite adequate to the 
production on a good scale of a very superior cocoa, 
especially fitted for the use of English manufactures. 
I find on going through the samples again that there 
is a difference on the part of three of them compared 
with the other seven. No 9, a bright red, unferment- 
ed, and rather small in size, is evidently the produce 
of an inferior tree. No. 5, some accident in the cur- 
ing had deprived of its proper value. No. 11," which 
I understand is grown in Berbice, has also a distinct 
character, more allied to the growth of Surinam than 
to Trinidad, the flavour good, superior to Surinam, but 
differing from that of Trinidad. 
Of the remainder, Nos. 7 and 8 are very large size, 
fine flavour, and the breaking up of the bean shows the 
color a red brown that is generally liked. No. 6, 
6a,7a, 12, and 13 are all after the style of Trinidad in 
their quality aud flavour. 
The seven samples I have seperated from the rest 
are in colour and appearance of the outside shell, 
good ; and one essential, the fermentation, has been 
very carefully carried out, producing an even colour 
in the breaking up of the fruit, which manufacturers 
like in their preparations. I should suggest the trial 
on the estates, where the seven samples came from, 
of the latest mode of curing used in Trinidad, that 
is, after the fermentation (carried out to the extent 
only as you have now done it), instead of washing the 
pulp or mucilage away from the shell, it should be 
dried upon the surface, and ouly slightly rubbed, 
just to get a reddish colour. 
In giving this advice, I wish you to avoid the very 
high fermentation to which they subject Trinidad 
cocoa. The drying of the mucilage ou the surface 
has the effect of sealing the shell, and thus not allowing 
any of the flavour of the fruit to escape. 
