tioV. i, 1894.] the TROPICAL AG-RlCULTU RIST. 
34$ 
THE COFFEE TRADE. 
(From >ha Statist,) 
PRODUCTION: 
Rio and Santos Crops for Ten STeaks. 
Rio. Santos. Total. 
Bugs. Bags. Bags. 
1834-85 ... 4,105,000 .. 2 096,374 6,201,374 
1885-86 .. 3,887,5' '0 .. 1,692,000 5,579,500 
1883-87 ... 3,513,500 ... 2,579 000 6,092,500 
1887-88 ... 1,941,000 .. 1,144,000 3,085,000 
1888 89 ... 4;200,000 .. 2 636,787 6.836,787 
1889- 90 ... 2 377 000 ... l,859,r.00 4.236,000 
1890- 91 .. 2,395,000 .. 2,950,00) 5,345 000 
1891- 92 ... 3,713,000 ... 3,088,000 7401000 
1892- 93 .. 2 977,000 ... 3,217,000 6,i94,000 
1893- 94 .. 2,585,000 ... 1,722,000 4,307,000 
It will be observed that lust feason the orop was 
on exceediuyly poor one both ia Rio and Sintos, and 
at the same time the Java rrop was a failure. It 
ia very significant that the visible supply iu the cir- 
cumstances should only have been reduced by a mil- 
lioL. bags in the twelve mon'hs, a feature which 
obviously confirm 3 aay statemeut as to a greatly re- 
duce! consumption. 
This season, fortunately, we are certain to have 
largely augmented supplies. The best authority on 
the Santos crop givus an estimate of 4,000,000 bagi; 
but as a poviiou of this may be hold over 1 placci 
it st 3,500,000 bags. Estimates of the Rio crop vary 
from 3 to 3£ million bags. As, however, considerable 
quantities when last year., owing to the naval de- 
muunt'.H.ions before Rio, found their- way to Victoria, 
this season will be shippel from Bin', 1 es imate that 
orop at 3J million bags. For Bah a I take only credit 
for 350,000 higs, although estinntes by cocsarvi- 
tive people fUi from 400,000 ti 500,000 bags, while 
Ceara aid Viot'ri* are lowly placed at 400,000 
bags together. For Jwa and Ills. Dutch BistlnJies 
I adopt the estimate of the best authorities in 
Hol'aud, whioh is 1,000,000 b*g'. A leading authority 
in Hsvre advise^ me that the Hayti crop pro'ably will 
yield 450 t j 500,000 bn^s of 75 kilo each (Brazil bags 
have a uuiform weight of 60 kilo eacM, wb le that 
of Veu'zuela is estimated by one of the best autho- 
rities at 800,000 bags. M xi-o has made great strides 
in corTi!0 cultivation. She has not ouly doubled her 
«xports to the Unit d Slates, but is sending la^ge 
quantities acro83 ihe border into Guatemala, wheuea 
it is shipped as Guatemala coffee 
I now preect in a tabulated fom my estimate of 
the production for the season 1894-95, with the remark 
that I believo there is a 8troog probability of its be- 
ing exoecded by fully half a million bags. 
Would's Coffee Production, 1894-95. 
Bags. 
... 3,250000 
Rio 
Sautos 
Bahia 
Victoria and Ceara 
Total, Brazil... 
Bags, 
1 ,000,000 
500,000 
3,500,000 
350,000 
400,000 
7,500,000 
Java and Dutch East Indies 
Hayti 
Mexico, Costa Rica and Central 
Amerioa... ... ... 1,500,000 
Venezuela... ... ... 800,000 
Porto Rico ... ... 150,000 
East Indies, Ceylon and Manilla 320,000 
Africa ... ... ... 230,000 4,500,000 
Grand Total... ... 12,000 000 
Thii e*timat9 of 12 million bugs must be lvgarded 
however, as a very conserva f ivo one. It is lowor by 
383,000 bags than that given by tho four leuliug 
brokers in Rotte-idam in their annual oircular issued 
Februnry 23rd lust, and the ooffee trndo will do well 
t) be prepared for an exoess of tully 500,000 bags. 
Ihdeid, thi« exoess is more thsn likely to bo derived 
from 0110 Bnizilian port alone, namoly, Santos apart 
fiom what fairly may be expected from othor sources. 
44 
Against a maximum consumption of 10.J million bags 
we have thus to place a minimum production of 12 
million ba;s, the largest known in the annals of the 
coffee trado, and there is a very great probability that 
it eventually will turn out fully 12g million bags. 
What possible Justification can there be for high 
prices with such prospects of tupply and a reduced 
consumption ? 
A NEW COCOA AND COFFEE DRYING 
MACHINE. 
London Sept, 28. 
This week an invitation was sent me to ba 
present at a trial of a new coooa and ooffeg drying 
machine, the invention of a Mr. Gammara, an 
Eouador planter now in England. The maohine 
has Leen constructed by Messrs. Bowes, Scott & 
Western, of the Phceaix Wharf, Battersea, and on 
my reaohing that somewhat far away locality it 
was worked fjr the information of the company 
invited to witness the trials. The maohine consists 
of what may ba termed a large iron box, 60 feet 
in length, 7 feet in width, and about 3 feet in 
height. Within it, working on fixed rollers, is a 
band of copper woven wire the full length and 
width of the box. Hot water pipes below the upper 
Euvfaoe of this band eupply the heat, tha steam 
from tho drying miterial being takan off by a fan 
at the end of the box. Circular stirrers keep the 
beans constantly turned over during their travel 
from one end of tho box, where they are fed in 
from a hopper on to the band, to tha other ex- 
tremity, when they are discharged dried. The 
travel of the band, with its load of beans two 
iaohes thick upon it, is designedly very slow, the 
entire passage ocoupying four hours, at the end 
of which time the beans are delivered in a per- 
fectly dry state. The machine seemed to me to 
ba very effective, and it is far from being a oostly 
one. £250, I should think, would suffica to pay 
for it erected in Ceylon, but as to this there ia 
no positive data for me to go upoD. Calculation 
was made that a ton of cocoa baans could be 
effbi- ntly dried in a working day. It is not 
kaowu to me whether the olimatic oondition 
of Ceylon would call for tha use of suoh a 
machine. Ia Ecuador, however, there is no 
relianoe to be placed on uninterrupted sunshine 
for natural drying. Rain falls most unexpectedly 
at all season?, even while the sun is blazing 
fieroely, bo that exposure to tho rays of the latter 
oan scarcely evtr ba relied upon. In this respect 
the olimate of Ceylon is vary difforent ; but never- 
theless it might ba that your cocoa planters would 
find suoh a machine useful to them, Boaroely 
any power is required to work it. Probably not 
more than half a horse-power, and one or two 
coolies could supply this, a handle being fitted for 
the employment of manual power if desired. Mr. 
Gammara has hael six of ihese maohines made for 
his own estate, and they will shortly be despatched 
by the makers. His production mu3t be large, as 
these six maobines could easily dry six tons of 
oocoa beans in a day. The machine is very simple 
and has nothing about it likely to get out of 
crder. Hot water is preferred to any other means 
of producing heat, as by its use the careless 
employment of too great a heat is prevented. 
The water is kipt in natural c roulatiou through 
the heating tubes and the boiler, bo as to ensuro 
uniformity of temperature. Messrs. Bowes, Soott, 
& Western woulJ certainly reply to any references 
msde to them by Ceylon planters as to this 
machine, which bus, we hear, been extensively 
patented. Their address is Prceaix Wharf, Churoh 
Road, Baltersea ; or Broadwoy Chambers, West- 
minster.— London Co); 
