September t, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Enclosure.) 
Calcutta, 10th July 1898. 
Dear .Sir,— Your letter of tho 12th ultimo on the 
subject of collecting samples of different descriptions 
of manure for Tea bushes, and specimens of the 
various kinds of soil upon which Tea is grown in 
Cachar, Sylhet, Assam, and Doars, was duly considered 
by tho General Committee at their Meeting of tho 
3rd instant, when it was resolved that this Association 
would bo glad to support the scheme proposed in 
your letter. 
It, is understood that at present it is not desired 
that the Association should take any active steps in 
procuring the samples of manure or specimens of 
soils, as this part of the scheme will be undertaken by 
you after communication with tho Agri-Horticultural 
Society. 
Yours faithfully, 
G. M. Barton, 
Assistant Secretary. 
Mr. Bell Irving mentioned that a firm in Calcutta, 
interested in the Tea industry, had some time ago 
been so impressed with the practical advantages of 
having the information which the Society now propose 
collecting, that they had spent considerable sums iu 
obtaining analysis of soil, which they sent to an 
expert in England; and that they had manures ex- 
pressly prepared in acoordance with the requirements 
of different soils. 
BRAZILIAN COFFEE. 
The empire of Brazil has attained the supremacy 
in the production of coffoe over every other country 
of tho world. A century -and-a-half of attention to 
this staple industry has enabled the coffee plauters to 
throw on the markets of the world more than one- 
half of all the coffee produced. The culture is carried 
on more or less largely from the River Amazon to 
the prorinco of San Paulo embracing nearly 20 de- 
grees of latitude. From the coa-t to the extrt me 
west of the province of Matto Grosso comprises 25 
degrees of longitude. Coffee, however, succeeds best 
generally between the ISth and 25th parallels Brazil 
will merit the name of the coffee couutry par excellence, 
seeing that it produces more than 250,000 tons an- 
nually.* Brazilian coffee is divided into tight kinds, 
which take tho names of the districts in which it 
is cultivated, viz., Rio, Santos, Bahia, Ceara, Minas- 
Geraes, Atularahy, Pernambuco, and Amazon. Fifty- 
five per cent, of the coffee exports are shipped from 
the port of Rio. The total exports from Rio have 
been in — 
Bags. 
1840 1,068,-JlS 
1850 1,313,484 
I860 ... 1 2,127,219 
1870 2,209.456 
1880 3,513,368 
1886 ... 4,209,200 
Tho weight of tho Brazilian bags of colfeo vary, 
in Rio they are 160 lbs , iu Bahia 128 lbs., but the 
average may be takeu at l\ owt. The total exports 
of Brazilian coffee last year were a little over 
6,000,000 bags. 
What is singular i< that in Europe, although half 
the production goes there, Brazilian coffee is uevor 
seen or heard of as sent. It ia passed ><ff in trade 
circles under other names. A prejudice seems to ex- 
ist against it which leads to this commercial decep- 
tion, and yet Brazilian coffee has greatly improved of 
late years both iu culture and separation. 
Iu tho amount of caffeine it contains it compares 
favourably with other coffees. Tho following propor- 
tions have boon fouud : — 
Yellow coffee of l!rn/il 1 83 
Java 1*70 
Mocha 1-26 
Cayeuno TOO 
St. Doniiugo 0 89 
An analyM» made by Prof. Church a few years 
ago for the Brazilian ( lovernment gsvellS percent. 
• Now, double this quantity I— Ed. 
At the different International Exhibitions in Holland, 
Belgium, the United States, and Russia, Brazilian 
coffee has obtained the highest awards, and the 
Agricultural and Commercial Society of Bio Janiero 
has taken great pains in the intorest of the coffee 
plauters to diffuse useful information, and to obtain 
justice for their coffee. The principal error appears 
to be in throwing the produce on the market in too 
green a state. Unlike tea, which should be used as 
soon as possiblo, coffee, like wine, improves with age, 
and the longer the berry is kept the better, as tuo 
moisturo is evaporated and the quality is improvod. 
But neither plauters nor dealers can afford to store 
the coffee for any length of time, and incur the loss 
iu weight and expenses— bonce the rawness of the 
coffee, and tho objection to its general use, except 
in the United States. 
The Brazilian planters, with the growers iu British 
possessions, are suffering from the gradual fall iu 
prices during the last eight years, and the more 
general use of tea, in many countries. Iu England, 
the consumption of coffee has naturally declined. Ten 
years ago it was about 1 lb. per head of the popu- 
lation; now it is only 0'80 of a pound, whilst the 
proportion of tea is 5 lbs. This decline in coffee may 
arise from adulteration, for 100,000 cwts. of foreign 
chicory is imported, besides what is grown at home, 
and cocoa is more popular. If we take the latest 
year available (1886), tho following were the quanti- 
ties of coffee imported for consumption by different 
countries, oompared with the population, which ie 
given for the years named : — 
Countries. 
Population. 
Coffee 
Imports 
in tous. 
68,233 
26,874 
84,144 
9,764 
7,330 
15,453 
8,814 
770 
France, 1886 38,218,903 
Belgium, 1880 5,620,009 
Holland, 1879 4,012,093 
Switzerland, 1880 2,846,102 
Russia in Europe, 1882 ... 87,407,721 
Sweden, 1886 4,717,189 
Norway, 1885 1,947,000 
Denmark, 1880 1,969,039 
Germany and Hamburg J 46)855)704 2,3^305* 
Austro-Hungary, 1880 ... 37,883,503 37,559 
Roumania, 1884 5,173.452 1,400 
Greece 1.719,301 — 
Italy, 1881 28,459,628 10,851 
Portugal, 1878 4,348,541 2,633 
Egypt, 1882 6,806,381 17,504 
United Kingdom, 1881... 35,003,719 50,327 
United States, 1880 ... 50,155,783 252,102 
After the United States, which consumes 10J lbs. 
per head, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, the Scandi- 
navian States, and Switzerland are the largest con- 
sumers of coffee.— Journal of the Society of Arts. 
ElPEBIMENTAL FrUIT E.Xl'ORT FROM AUSTRALIA TO 
Lokdon.— Mr. F. llannaford, Chain of Ponds, has 
presented to the Central Agricultural Bureau threo 
cases of stone pippin apples which will be shipped 
by the mail steamer " Arcadia," leaving on 13th 
August. The fruit will be packed in special cases 
in a particular manner, and addressed to Sir 
Arthur Blyth, our Agent-General, who will be re- 
quested to obtain opinions from experts as to the 
condition in which tho fruit arrives, its value on 
arrival, and estimated value iu March to May, at 
which time such fruit would bo in demand in 
England. If this fruit should reach England in 
good condition, after being kept so long here, it 
would bo proof that with proper care it could be sent 
successfully just after ripening.— Adelaide Observer. 
* Clearly on error for cwt.=118,000 tons.— Ld. 
