T 1 6 
THF  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[August  i,  1892. 
evidence  of  the  fitness  of  the  soil  and  climate  at  I 
average  elevations  of  2,500  ft.  to  grow,  not  only  j 
paying,  but  really  bumper,  crops  of  Arabian.  The 
young  coffee  in  question  is  in  growth  most  luxuriant; 
there  is  hardly  a speck  of  haf  disease  on  it:  and 
the  crop  it  is  carrying  is  estimated  at  3 cwt  per 
acre  after  a heavy  pruning,  by  which  it  is  judged 
some  2 cwt.  crop  was  thrown  away.  One  thing  im- 
portant to  be  noted  in  connection  with  Arabian 
cropping  here  is  that  the  harvest  does  not  come  on 
in  a heap  as  in  Ceylon ; the  picking  is  spread  over 
some  nine  months  at  least,  making  it  much  easier 
for  the  bushes  to  carry  bumper  crops  without  being 
exhausted.  Another  thing  is  that  there  is  never  a 
day  without  sunsh  ne,  and  the  rainfall  which  at 
Waterloo  is  about  the  same  as  in  Dimbula  is  much 
more  evenly  distributed  over  the  year  than  in  Ceylon. 
For  instance,  this  year  the  rainfall  registered  on 
Waterloo  has  been  as  follows: — January  G’30,  Feb- 
ruary 5'80,  March  10'56,  April  7'86 ; there  has  been 
no  one  week  without  rain  except  towards  the  end 
of  last  week.  You  may  indeed  say  it  is,  for  that 
estate,  the  prefection  of  both  growing  and  ripening 
weather,  and  there  are  many  more  places  like  it  in 
Perak  for  those  inclined  to  search  for  it  carefully; 
but  it  can  hardly  be  chosen  without  going  to  the 
trouble  of  careful  examination. 
The  advice  I would  give  intending  selectors  is  that 
they  should  make  known  some  months  beforehand 
to  the  British  Resident  their  wish  for  land  and 
desire  that  suitable  blocks  be  selected  within  cer- 
tain elevations,  and  facilities  given  in  the  way  of 
walking-roads  or  paths  to  allow  the  jungle  to  be 
thoroughly  examined.  I have  no  doubt  such  a request 
if  properly  put  forward,  would  meet  with  a favour- 
able response.  I dare  say  you  are  aware  that,  by 
the  new  regulations,  land  for  planting  can  be  got 
for  a premium  of  3 dollars  per  acre  andno  quit 
rent. — I am,  &c.  D.  MACKAA. 
—Local  “ Times.” 
COFFEE. 
From  the  translation  of  a French  work,  " Spectacle 
de  la  Nature,”  made  in  1736,  we  reproduce  the  follow- 
ing account  of  the  coffee  tree  given  in  the  form  of 
dialogue  between  the  Chevalier  and  the  Prior : — 
Coffee,  whose  good  effects  are  universally  esteemed, 
is  the  Berry  of  a small  tree,  which  formerly  was 
known  in  no  country  but  the  kingdom  of  Yeman  in 
Arabia  and  as  the  seeds,  which  are  found  in  the  heart 
of  the  fruit,  are  qualified  to  clear  the  head  and  re- 
lieve it  from  sleepiness,  when  they  have  been  infused 
in  water;  the  Arabian  monks  are  said  to  have  been 
the  first  who  made  use  of  them,  that  they  might  be 
enabled  to  perform  their  nocturnal  devotions  without 
drowziness.  This  artificial  drink  came  easily  into 
repute,  among  those  Nations  that  frequently  invent 
new  liquors  to  regale  them  instead  of  wine,  which 
the  Law  of  Mahommed  has  prohibited  among  them. 
Some  Turkish  doctors  at  first  opposed  the  introduc- 
tion of  this  liquor,  and  declared  it  to  be  too  spirituous, 
and  almost  as  inebriating  as  wine  itself ; but  the 
Musti  soon  removed  this  difficulty,  and  coffee  was  vindi- 
cated from  the  imputation  of  any  vinous  quality,  and 
was  allowed  to  be  a lawful  liquor.  It  was  then 
publicly  drank  in  Constantinople  and  Cairo,  from 
whence  it  has  been  transmitted  to  us,  about  sixty  years 
ago. 
Chevalier.  I am  surprised  that  we  don't  sow  this  use- 
ful and  popular  seed  in  our  Southern  Provinces  at  least. 
Prior.  It  will  not  succeed  either  there,  or  in  any 
other  part  of  the  Kingdom ; because  it  ought  to  be 
sown  immediately  after  it  has  been  gathered.  It  was 
formerly  imagined,  and  several  people  are  still  per- 
suaded, that  the  Arabians  of  Mocha  drenched  the 
berries  in  a brine,  or  some  lixivious  liquor,  before 
their  exportation,  to  prevent  their  being  sowed  with 
any  success,  and  that  they  themselves  might  not  be 
deprived  of  the  profits  of  this  plant,  by  its  propa- 
gation in  other  regions.  But  since  some  of  the  trees 
have  been  transported  to  the  isle  of  Bourbon’  as 
well  as  to  Batav  and  Holland  ; and  likewise  from 
Holland  to  France,  where  they  have  been  cultivated 
in  a successful  manner;  we  have  been  convinced 
that  the  seeds  of  this  plant  will  never  prosper,  if 
their  plantation  be  delayed  ever  so  little.  Those 
that  were  gathered  at  Amsterdam,  and  sent  to  Paris, 
were  unsuccessful ; but  all  such  as  were  gathered 
either  at  Amsterdam,  or  in  the  King's  Garden,  from 
little  trees,  which  had  been  planted  there,  proved 
very  thriving,  when  care  was  taken  to  set  them 
the  moment  they  were  gathered. 
The  Coffee  tree  may  be  seen  in  the  Royal  Garden, 
where  its  height  does  not  exceed  five  or  six  feet, 
and  its  stem  is  about  an  inch  in  thickness;  but  it 
rises  to  the  height  of  forty  feet  in  Arabia  and  Ba- 
tavia, though  its  thickness  seldom  exceeds  five  inches. 
It  is  always  covered  with  flowers  and  fruit.  It  shoots 
out,  through  the  whole  length  of  its  stem,  a growth 
of  branches  which  are  always  exactly  opposite  to 
each  other,  and  in  different  pairs,  one  of  which 
crosses  the  other.  The  leaves,  which  resemble  those 
of  the  common  laurel,  are  also  ranged  in  couples; 
at  the  bottom  of  these  spring  the  fragrant  flower- 
branclres,  which  have  a near  similitude  to  those  of 
the  Jasmin,  and  have  five  chives  in  their  centre. 
The  berry  or  fruit,  which  appears  after  these,  is  not 
much  unlike  a hard  cherry,  in  its  colour  and  shape. 
The  flesh,  which  is  not  disagreeable,  serves  as  a 
tegument  to  a couple  of  shells,  each  of  which  con- 
ta'ns  a seed.  One  of  these  is  frequently  abortive, 
because  its  due  fecundity  is  seldom  imparted  to  it 
in  the  flower  season  ; the  other  grows  stronger,  and 
receives  a better  nourishment. 
The  Use  of  Coffee. 
Some  persons  infuse  all  the  fruit  after  it  has  been 
dried  ; others  choose  the  shells  ; but  the  best  and 
most  usual  method  is  only  to  infuse  t e berries, 
when  they  have  been  moderately  roasted  in  a vessel 
of  varnished  earth,  which  is  always  preferable  to 
one  of  brass,  or  iron.  The  berries  are  judged  to  be 
sufficiently  roasted,  when  they  begin  to  assume  a 
violet-hue,  and  discharge  an  oil  of  a very  agreeable 
scent.  The  c<  ffee  which  is  newly  ground,  has  always 
the  most  virtue ; and  when  it  is  infused  in  boiling 
water  it  loses  fewer  of  its  volatile  parts,  than  when 
it  is  immediately  poured  into  cold  water.  When  the 
heat  of  the  fire  raises  the  powder  to  the  edge  of 
the  coffee  pot,  it  is  precipitated  with  a few  drops 
of  cold  water. 
It  is  the  opinion  of  our  best  and  most  experienced 
physicians,  that  coffee  promotes  disgestion.  and 
corrects  sharp  humours,  when  it  is  drank  af  er  meals. 
Several  persons  prefer  it,  in  the  morning,  for  its 
dissipation  of  vapours  and  other  disorders  of  the 
h ad,  and  for  imparting  a liveliness  to  the  spirits. 
Every  one  knows  how  much  the  repose  of  the  night 
is  hazarded  by  the  repeated  use  of  this  liquor  in 
the  same  day ; and  what  precautions  are  taken,  to 
correct  the  bitter  flavour  of  its  salts,  with  milk,  and 
sugar,  and  bread.  Sugar  is  a constant  ingredient, 
bread  is  proper,  when  the  liquor  is  drank  in  a 
morning ; and  milk  is  necessary  for  thin  constitutions, 
which  would  otherwise  be  injured  by  the  salts. 
Chevalier.  Is  there  any  particular  choice  to  be 
made  in  the  purchase  of  coffee  ? 
Pnor.  The  small  and  greenish  berries,  and  especi- 
ally those  which  dispense  an  agreeable  scent,  and 
are  transmitted  to  us  from  Cairo,  by  the  way  of 
Marseilles,  are  much  more  esteemed  than  the  large 
and  inodorous  species,  which  is  transported  to  us 
over  the  ocean. — Madras  Times. 

THE  MAURITIUS  VANILLA  CROP. 
Our  little  colony  of  Mauritius,  with  a history  only 
l.-.-s  turbu'eut  than  the  hurricanes  that  periodically 
ravage  its  plantations,  has  had  the  good  fortune  to 
have  been  chosen  by  Bernardin  de  St.  Pierre  as  the 
scene  of  one  of  the  most  famous  romances  of  the 
, ighteenth  century;  and  again,  in  our  own  day  and 
country,  under  the  transparent  device  of  “Palmiste,  ’ 
it  has  turnished  Mr.  Basant  with  part  of  the  Betting 
of  two  of  his  most  unconventioDa!  stjries.  In  these 
wo-ks  a Mauritius  hurricane  is  graphically  described 
■ and  to  them  readers  should  turn  for  a viyjd  lts- 
* It  lies  to  the  East  of  Madagascar. 
