July  x,  1892.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
47 
ful  terracing  and  re-planting  of  old  places  is  an  idea  de- 
serving of  the  consideration  of  coffee  growers,  whose 
produce  is  worth  E60  a cwt.  Levels  might  be  taken 
up  the  face  of  a hill  and  level  pegs  put  down,  at 
distances  to  suit  the  slope,  the  last  one  being  12 
to  15  feet  from  the  top.  The  terr.ice.s  might  be 
cat  to  the  level  of  the  pegs,  sloping  inwards,  at  1 in 
30  or  40,  to  prevent  the  loss  of  soil  by  wash.  They 
should  be  of  width  to  suit  the  land,  wide  enough  to 
take  two  or  three  rows  of  trees.  In  this  way  a good 
deal  of  valuable  gsound  now  lying  idle  can  be  re- 
covered probably.  Moreover,  if  shade  trees  are 
present,  a planter  would  like  to  preserve  some,  for 
a while  at  least,  which  would  be  another  reason 
against  wide  terraces.  I think  this  is  an  idea  that 
it  is  worth  the  while  of  others  to  turn  over  in  their 
mind“,  aud  an  experiment  made  where  practicable. 
1 have  found  it  successful  and  remunerative,  though 
co3tly,  I admit.  The  system  of  rico  cultivation  in 
Malabar  apppeared  to  me  advanced,  and  about 
Tellicherry  as  near  perfection  as  possible,  not 
a yard  of  ground  lying  idle,  separated  from 
the  coconut  and  arecf.nut  orchards  by  trim 
mud  or  laterite  walls  with  artistic  steps  and 
entrances.  Everything  bespoke  careful  and  in- 
telligent cultivation,  and  however  primitive  may  be 
their  ploughs  and  implements  of  tilth,  it  struck  me 
they  were  not  in  need  of  a Do.  Voelcfeer  or  of  any 
other  scientist  to  teach  them  how  to  take  most  out  of 
the  soil.  The  Malabar  ryot  takes  3 crops  a year  1 Tho 
occupiers  of  the  soil  are  not  needy  in  those  regions, 
there  is  nothing  to  indicate  indigence,  and  they  would 
not  stick  at  extra  expenditure  that  would  pay.  The 
areas  cne  could  take  in  with  the  eye,  while  diiving 
about,  led  me  to  form  a high  opinion  of  the  growing 
powers  of  Malabar,  and  of  the  intelligence  and  enter- 
prise of  its  cultivators.  I saw  it  at  its  beet,  however, 
as  rain  had  been  falling  daily,  the  total  since  1st  Jan., 
having  reached  over  12  inches.” — Madras  Mail,  May 
23rd. 
COFFEE. 
A circular  recently  issued  by  four  of  the  largest 
coffee  brokers  in  Continental  Europe  estimates  the 
production  of  coffee  in  1891-92  st  11,342,000  bags, 
against  9.297,000  bags  in  1890-91 ; 8,658,200  in  1889-90  ; 
10,598,200,  in  1888-89 ; 7,077,000  in  1887-88  ; 
10,312.500  in  1886-87  ; 9 488,000  in  1885-86  S 
11.440.000  in  1884-85  ; 9,767,000  in  1883-84  ; 
11.080.000  in  1882-83;  10,391,000  in  1881-82.  Messrs. 
W.  Sehoffer  & Oo.  take  exception  to  tho  estimate  for 
1891-92,  placing  the  total  export  of  coffee  from  all 
countries  during  the  season  of  1891-92, 10,100,000  bags 
or  648,000,000  kilos,  equivalent  to  1,425,600,000  pounds. 
It  appears  from  the  first  group  oi  figures  that  the 
last  ten  crops  gave  99,060,900  bags  or  an  average  yearly 
supply  for  ten  years  of  9,906,090  bags. 
The  author  of  the  first  estimate  places  the  arrivals 
in  Europe  and  America  during  ten  years,  1882-91, 
at  102,994,900  bags  ; total  deliveries  at  104,915,300 
bags.  Messrs.  Sehoffer  & Co,  regard  these  figures  as 
unreliable,  or  ia  their  words,  i(of  i_o  value,”  because  no 
account  is  made  of  direct  shipments  to  Spain,  Portugal, 
Italy,  Mediterranean,  Canada,  Pacific  coast,  Australia, 
etc. 
Messrs.  Sehoffer  & Co.  note  a steadily  increasing 
consumption,  and  on  the  basis  of  Custom  House 
figures  for  Europe  and  deliveries  for  the  United 
States  furnish  the  following  estimate  showing  tho 
consumption  ia  Germany,  France,  Austria  Hungary, 
England,  Belgium,  Switzerland  and  the  United  States). 
Centner. 
(1001b.) 
1881  ...  8,665,888 
1882  ...  9,105,950 
1883  ...  9,215,920 
1884  ...  9,410,080 
1885  ...  10,202,000 
1886  ...  10,301,220 
In  rrder  to  fix  the 
of  coffeo  at  the 
1887 
Centner. 
(100  lb. ) 
S, 382, 000 
1888 
9,607,990 
1889 
• •• 
9,415,760 
1890 
9,462,760 
1891 
... 
10,214,120 
otal  approximate  consumption 
present  time,  Sohotfer  & Co.  tka 
the  Custom  House  figures  of  1891,  of  oourse  only 
of  those  countries  which  are  officially  controlled. 
Centner. 
For  Germany 
France 
Austria  Hungary 
England 
Belgium 
Switzerland 
Further  United  States  of  America  deliveries 
Do  Canada  and  Pacific  (at  least),  the 
result  of  former  investigation  .. 
Do  Cap.  Laplata,  Australia  (at  least)... 
Do  Holland  ...  ... 
Do  Sweden  and  Norway  (consumption 
1890,  15,121.541  kilos) 
Do  Denmark  (consumption  1891, 
5,700,000  kilos) 
Do  Russia  and  Poland  (former  esti- 
mate) 
Do  Italy  (Custom  House  figures  1891, 
13,814,700  kilos)  ... 
Do  Spain  (former  estimate)  ... 
Do  Portugal  (former  estimate) 
Do  Turkey,  Levant,  and  Balkan  States 
Northwest  of  Africa 
.'2,509,480 
. 1,402,000 
. 706,740 
. 261,100 
. 510,480 
. 162,160 
4,661,060 
381,740 
400.000 
560.000 
302,490 
114.000 
300.000 
276,294 
140.000 
37,000 
400.000 
150.000 
Total. ..13, 265, 544 
Or  11,054,620  bags,  against  a production  of  1891-92, 
which  the  four  Rotterdam  brokers  estimate  to  be 
11,343,000  bags  while  Sehoffer  &Co  are  of  the  opinion 
that  daring  this  period  only  10,800,000  bags  are  at 
hand  to  be  exported  and  that  the  exoess  must  be 
taken  from  the  visible  and  invisible  supply. 
These  figures  indicate,  in  onr  opinion,  a fluctuating 
consumption,  difficult  to  estimate.  When  prices  rule 
very  high  consumption  decreases  and  rises  as  prices 
decrease.  Messrs.  Sehoffer  & Co.,  referring  to  the 
first  estimate  given,  say  : — 
We  will  drop  our  estimate  of  10,800,000  bags  for 
the  year  1891-92,  and  assume  the  one  of  the  four 
brokers,  in  which  Brazil  figures  with  7,425,000  bags. 
Then  a production  of  11,342,000  bags  stands  against 
a consumption  of  11,054,620  bags,  and  at  the  end 
of  the  campaign  the  visible  supply  would  have 
increased  289,000  bags  on  the  smallest  ever  known 
figure. 
For  the  year  1892-93  the  proportion  would  bo  as 
follows  : — 
The  production  of  Brazil  taken  as  6,500,000  bags 
would  be  925,000  bags  less  than  1891-92. 
Java  may  be  250,000  bags  more  than  1891-92,  and 
consequently  the  total  production  of  1892-93  would 
be  675,000  bags  smaller  than  1891-92. 
For  the  other  coffee-growing  countries  we  adopt 
the  same  figures  as  this  year,  which,  no  doubt,  are 
much  too  high. 
Wiihout  tnking  the  increase  of  consumption  into 
consideration,  the  latter  (i.e.  the  consumption)  would 
surmount  in  1892-93  the  production  for  about  450,000 
bags. 
How,  however,  would  be  the  lookout  if  1891-92 
instead  of  11,343,000  bags  would  yield  10,800,000  bags  ? 
In  that  case  one  would  have  to  reckon  : 
Production  1891-92  ...10,800,000 
Production  1892-93  ...  ’ ... 
Brazil’s  6,500,000  bags,  against  7,000,000  our 
estimate,  1891-92, 
i.e.  500,000  bags  less  thin  1891-92. 
250,000  bags  Java  more. 
Difference 250,000  bags  less  than  1891-92, 
10,550,000 
Production  during  these  two  years  ...21,350,000 
Consumption  during  these  two  years  at 
11,054,620  bags  eaoh  year  ...22,109,240 
Besides  prices  of  the  principal  description,  Brazil 
coif  1 cs  are  about  15  to  20  per  cent,  lower  than  those  at 
whicli  the  consumption  bought  with  confidence  during 
almost  two  years,  and  the  invisible  supply  must  he  the 
s malle6t  ever  known. — American  Grocer. 
