July 2, i883.] tmf. TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
TiUNIDAD COFFEE. 
The staple industries of Trinidad are sugar and cacao. 
The annual export of these two products are sugar, 
700,00()i'. ; cacao, 400,000/;. Hitherto the cultivation of 
coffee has not assumed large proportions. Efforts were 
made by Mr. Rrestoe in the years 1875-8 to draw 
attentioa to the desirability of cultivating coffee in 
Trinidad, and plants of Arabiau and Liberian coffee 
were experimentally grown in the Botanic Gardens and 
distributed amongst cultivators. " Notes on Coffee 
Cultivation in Trinidad, " were published in the "Tri- 
nidad ltoyal Gazette " of the 29th May and 28th 
August 1878. In these notes it was stated that 
"the success which has attended a further extension 
of coffee planting in the Iiut.iuic Gardens is an im- 
portant evidence of the reward that awaits extensive 
and high-class coffee cultivation in this island." He 
turthor stated that "no more favourable conditions 
for colfoe planting could be desired than exists in the 
valleys of the northern portion of the island, east of 
the Maraval Valley. In the upper part of St. Ann's 
Valley there are extensive plots of coffee trees, which 
for vigour and fruitfuluess are simply perfection." 
Owing probably to recurring periods of drought and 
to the absence of suitable shade trees, coffee cultiva- 
tion has not prospered in the lowlands of Trinidad. 
In other localities, and especially at a higher elevation, 
oomplete success would, no doubt, be attained. 
In the report on the samples of Trinidad coffee 
contributed to the late Colonial and Indian Exhibi- 
tion, it is stated tint " they were of a kind which 
would be very useful if picked with greater care, 
and quite free from black, broken, and defective brans. 
They were worth in their present state 53;>\ to 55s. per 
cwt , but might easily be made to realise 5s. to 6s, 
more by enreful picking and preparation .... 
It is doubtful if the Trinidad planters know how to 
remove the pulp quickly and well after picking, and 
if they clean their parchment well." 
Mr. J. II. Hart, the leuoutly appointed Superinten- 
dent of the Botanic Gardeus at Trinidad has turued 
his attention to the possibility of establishing a colfee 
industry in the island. In a letter addressed to Kew, 
dated 3rd March 1888, he meutious : "I send you three 
samples of colfee grown here c died respectively Creole, 
Hybrid Mocha, and Mocha coffee. I am very desirous 
of obtaining the market value of these samples, as I 
believe will) proper appliances the coffee grown here 
could l>e increased in market value at least 25 per 
cent. The samples bave been cleaned and prepared 
by fermentation." 
In reply to-this request the following letter with en- 
closures was addressed to the Colonial Office: — 
Koyal Gardens, Kew, April 11, 1888. 
Sir, — I am desired by Mr. Thiselton Dyer to inform 
you that he lately received from the superintendent of 
the Botanical Gardens, Trinidad, samples of coffee 
which had b< en prep . red by him experimentally for 
the purpose of testing the merits of Trinidad coffee. 
2. It appears that coffee cultivation at Trinidad has 
not bo far proved a successful industry. The planters 
who have hitherto tried the cultivation have not been 
able to cure the produce in such a manner as to 
obtain remunerative prices. 
3. Mr. Hart who takes an intelligent interest in 
local industries has very properly sought to improve 
the quality of Trinidad coffee by curing it accord- 
ing to the method so w II pursued in regard to the 
Blue Mountain u II c o .1 .tunica. 
4. The result of Mr. Har.'s experiment according 
to the reports of the brokers enclosed herewith has 
iniprov d the value of Trinidad coffee by about 25 
per (vnt. 
.'> Mr. Thiselton Dyer is of opinion that tin- report 
of ihi' brokers, ah al.-o the letter of M-ssrs. Shimd a id 
II ilils ie, wi i p ove of interest to Sir WiUiam Ro linson, 
to whom thev might be oommunioatod lor the purpose of 
drawing attention to coffee growing as a possible in -nus 
of extending the industries of the colony. — I have, &0. 
(Signed ) I). BftOKRIS, 
I'Mwnrd Wingfleld, E«q., Colonial Oflire. 
[Enclosures.] 
Messrs. Siiand and Haldane to Roval 
Gardens, Kew. 
24, Rood Lane, K. 0., April 7, 1888. 
Sir, — We received your favour of 22ud ultimo, and we 
now have pleasure in enclosing report and valuation made 
by Messrs. Wilson, Smithett k Co., 41 Mincing Lane, 
of the samples 'of Trinidad coffee sent by you to us. 
A few words as to the system of coffee preparation 
generally adopted in Ceylon upon the estates may per- 
haps be of interest 
The coffee cherries are allowed to get fully ripe upon 
the trees, and care is taken in picking to avoid green 
and partially ripe cherries. The cherries are pissed 
through machinery generally as soon as they are 
brought into the measuring loft from the field 1 , though 
some planters prefer keeping them for a night in tho 
loft before pulping, and believe thereby a better colour 
is obtained for the bean when it reaches market, 
though the parchment skin may not look so clean. 
Iu the operation of pulping the beans are squeezed 
out of the outer skin commonly called the pulp by 
passage through discs or cylinders and fall into 
cisterns, from which the water that carries them in is 
drained off, and they are then heaped up and left 
to ferment until such time as the mucilage w'th which 
the bean is covered em be washed off: a period Vary- 
ing according to temperature from 24 to 48 hour'. 
When the coffee, now termed the parchment, is ready 
to wash, water is run into the cisterns, and it is 
kept moving With batons until all the glutinous matter 
is removed; it is then put on mats or an asphalte 
or cement drying ground and left in the sun to dry, 
and after two or three days' exposure, it is ready to 
be sent to the mills in Colombo in bags. 
A few estites in Ceylon, but very few if any now, 
prepare their coffeo for market by peeling and sizing 
upon the estates, but the strong sun and heavy ma- 
chinery required enable these operations to oe carried 
out better in Cdombo. The planter has to be care- 
ful to pick ripe berries, and rip? berries only, to see 
that his cylinders or discs are so set that the beans 
do not get pinched or b:uised in passing through 
them and that the skin is separated from the parcn- 
ment, not to allow his parchment to ferment too long 
as though thereby the outer or parchment skin may 
become whiter and better blenched the bean loses the 
colour which the trade likes. The various operations 
of peeling, garbling, aud sizing to be properly done 
require heavy machinery and ample room. 
Full particulars as to coffee preparation upon plan- 
tations will be found m Sub-tropical Cultivations by 
K. O. Haldane, Blackwood, 1886 — We remain, &c., 
(Signed) Sua.nd, Haldane k Co. 
D. Morris, Esq. 
41, Mincing Laue, E. 0., March 27, 1888. 
Dear Sirs, — We have examined the samples ol Trini- 
dad coffee described as under experimental cultivation at 
Trinidad and report as follows: — 
Hybrid Mocha, of good liquor and 
flavour, the shape of the berry, approxi- 
mating to long-berry Mocha - - 85s". per cwt. 
Mocha, of indifferent liquor, but fair 
flavour, very small berry, similar to 
small East IudU - - - 72.-'. „ 
Creole, lair liquor, ordinary tlavour, 
similar to Central American - - 60.-. ,, 
All the samples roast evenl. , showing that the berry 
is well prepared and ripene '.—Yours faithfully. 
(Signed) Wilson, Smith kit Co. 
Messrs. Shaud, Qaldaue & Gu. 
Royal Gardens, KkW, to COLONIAL OFFICH 
Royal G irden , Kew, Aprii 1' ■>. Lf88 
Sir, — .In continuation ol my U lV r of the lllb in-t .ut, 
I am desired by Mr. Thiselt n Dy> r to forw id to yoa, 
for the information of the Govi riiment of Tried tad, the 
enclosed copy of a letter received from Messrs I. \w * 
and P>nt, of Mincing Lane, on the subject Ol i lean 
ing "parchment colfee," 
