502 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Feb.  i,  i F93. 
COFFEE  PLANTING  IN  MEXICO  AND  GUATE- 
MALA DY  AN  OLD  CEYLON  PLANTER. 
Western  Mexico,  Nov.  1st,  1892. 
To  the  Editor  “ Tropical  Agriculturist,"  Ceylon. 
I still  read  with  great  interest  the  movements  and 
writings  of  ex-Ceylon  Planters  ; and  feel  anew  the 
obligations  of  writing  what  I have  learned  lately, 
thinking  that  possibly  some  other  planter  may  be 
interested  equally  with  what  I communicate  as  I have 
been  with  other  contributors. 
I write  from  the  district  of  Soconuxo,  State  of 
Chiapas,  Mexico.  This  district  formed  part  of  the 
neighbouring  Republic  of  Guatemala;  but  was  con- 
ceded to  Mexico  about  thirty  years  ago. 
This  estate,  which  I am  at  present  engaged  in 
opening,  is  situated  only  ten  miles  (10)  from  the 
boundary  line  which  separates  the  two  countries. 
The  character  of  the  country  for  200  miles  along 
what  is  known  as  the  Pacific  slope  of  the  mountain 
range  is  very  uniform  indeed. 
The  lands  rise  with  a gentle  slope  upwards  from 
the  sea  coast  to  an  elevation  of  about  5,000  feet,  then 
rise  abruptly  to  their  highest  ridges  12,000  to  15,000 
feet  above  sea-level. 
The  distance  throughout  the  whole  coast  from  sea 
shore  to  beginning  of  coffee  belt  is  about  the  same 
30  miles. 
In  the  neighbouring  Republic,  Guatemala,  there 
are  some  very  fine  coffee  estates.  El  Porvenir 
is  one  of  the  largest  if  not  the  very  largest  of  all 
I know  the  property  well,  and  if  agreeable  will  relate 
some  of  the  figures  in  connection  with  the  opening 
and  production  of  the  estate. 
El  Porvenir  (in  the  future)  was  a pet  place  of  the 
late  President,  General  Rutino  Barrios.  It  was  pur- 
chased and  opened  by  him,  and  at  the  time  I knew 
it  best,  from  1883  to  188G,  was  already  a large  con- 
cern. His  unfortunate  death  at  the  battle  of  Clial- 
chiapa  checked  the  development  ; and  it  was  recently 
sold  to  a German  Syndicate,  who  have  added  greatly 
to  the  concern. 
The  following  figures  were  Notes  taken  by  me  in 
1880,  and  are  still  interesting  : — 
The  total  area  of  land  was  12,915  acres,  which 
covers  everything,  and  so  made  up  in  the  following  way  : 
410  acres  of  7 years  old  coffee 
315  „ 5 
315  „ 4 , „ 
210  „ 3 
315  „ 2 
1,571  &cres  planted  up  with  coffee  in  1886. 
At  that  time  there  were  approximately  about  2,500 
acres  of  virgin  forest  lands  eminently  suitable  for 
coffee,  which  it  was  Barrios’s  intention  to  cover  with 
coffee.  The  land  was  good  and  rich,  soil  a deep 
chocolate-colored  volcanic  loam.  The  balance  of 
the  lauds  are  rough  and  high,  and  also  slope  down- 
wards to  the  hot  country,  too  low  for  coffee  ; but 
which  bas  been  planted  up  with  grass. 
Barhacues. — There  were  thirty  barbacues  25  yards 
square  each  made  of  stone,  paved,  and  well  cemented, 
offering  a perfectly  smooth  surface  and  floor. 
Driers. — There  were  four  No.  4 Guardiole  driers,  each 
capable  of  drying  75  quintals  of  coffee  daily. 
Peelers. — Three  Smoot’s  peelers  of  the  largest  size, 
one  Gordon  peeler,  and  one  Mason  peeler.  The  latter 
was  not  very  popular  and  little  used. 
Pulpers.—  Six  Gordon  cylinder  breast  pulpers  disposed 
of  all  the  coffee  cherry. 
Deceiving  Cistern. — The  receiving  cistern  for  coffee 
cherry  was  a very  large  concern,  all  stone  paved 
and  cemented,  the  actual  dimensions  I have  not  got. 
Fermenting  Cisterns. — Eight  lermeuting  cisterns  for 
wet  parchment,  6x8  yards  and  8 x lu  yards  stone  work. 
Masfihs.— Two  Guardiole  washers  and  one  Mason's 
washer  for  wet  parchment  after  fermentation. 
400  working  oxen  and  65  carts;  37  mules,  15  carts. 
Power  to  work  the  whole  concern  in  the  height  of 
picking  was  furnished  by  one  waterwheel  40  feet  in 
diameter,  one  of  24  feet  diameter,  and  one  of  12  feet 
diameter.  Two  blacksmith's  forges  and  a saw-mill. 
The  Building.  — The  building  which  contained  all 
this  machinery  was  [_-shaped  01'  one-half  of  a 
square,  one  side  was  204  feet  by  48.  other  side  equal, 
namely  204  by  48.  House  and  office  for  accommoda- 
tion of  clerks  and  managers  contained  8 rooms. 
Telegraph  office,  and  cottage  of  10  rooms  for  accom- 
modation of  the  President  when  he  visited  the  estate. 
150  bouses  for  the  accommodation  of  the  resident 
labourers ; also  scattered  throughout  the  coffee 
estate  were  additional  houses  to  furnish  sleeping 
room  for  the  extra  number  of  hands  needed  during 
crop.  There  were  18  of  these  houses  90  to  120  feet 
long  by  24  to  30  feet  wide. 
Itoads. — The  whole  estate  was  interlaced  with  paths 
cut  6 feet  wide,  the  total  length  of  which  would 
record  many  miles;  12  miles  of  good  cart  road  too 
led  from  the  store  to  the  Pueblo  of  Rodeo. 
Harvest. — In  the  year  under  notice  there  were  21,000 
quintals  of  clean  coffee  picked:  each  quinta1  is 
equal  to  10 J lb.  English  measurement  A very 
large  estate  compared  with  the  size  of  our 
Ceylon  and  Southern  Indian  plantations.  The 
manager  was  also  busy  at  work  lining  and  holing 
300  acres  of  land  more  which  he  purposed  planting 
up  as  soon  as  the  rains  began.  This  estate  to  me 
was  very  interesting  indeed,  and  I am  sure  would 
have  been  equally  so  to  any  Ceylon  planter  who 
might  have  had  the  fortune  to  see  it ; I must  admit 
I extended  the  field  of  my  knowledge  greatly,  and 
learned  much  of  the  ways  of  working  in  these  countries. 
I raised  600,000  cinchona  plants  on  the  property 
and  distributed  them  throughout  the  place,  chiefly 
on  the  lee  side  of  the  roadways,  which  greatly 
added  to  and  adorned  the  estate.  All  the  coffee 
cherry  was  brought  by  carts,  or  carried  by  men  to 
the  central  curing  establishment,  where  it- was  pulped, 
fermented,  dried  and  cured,  and  despatched  ready  for 
market.  I was  present  during  crop  time  1886,  and 
saw  by  far  the  largest  number  of  people  engaged 
picking  I ever  beheld.  There  were  about  3,000  hands 
on  the  estate  at  that  time ; and  the  stir  in  the 
evening  when  the  cherry  was  measured  was  great  and 
exhilarating.  The  room  was  cramped  indeed,  and 
the  time  taken  to  measure  palam  twice  as  long 
as  we  take  in  Ceylon.  However,  these  defects  are 
matters  of  detail,  and  improvements  were  made 
next  year. 
AVhen  the  pulpers  began  their  work,  a stream  of 
parchment  coffee  was  concentrated  and  focused, 
when  i&  issued  into  the  fermenting  tank,  that  did 
one’s  heart  good  to  see.  All  the  coffee  was  not 
measured  in  the  evening  at  the  receiving  cistern, 
not  by  a great  deal.  During  the  day,  carts  were 
arriving  and  leaving  regularly  filled  with  cherry,  to 
and  fro,  from  the  coffee  fields;  yet.  in  the  evening, 
the  number  of  pickers  seemed  innumerable,  and 
the  palam  they  brought  immense.  The  figures  alone 
tell  a good  tale.  Allowing  9 bushels  of  cherry  to 
1 quintal  or  cental  of  coffee,  then  21,000  centals 
equals  189,000  bushels  of  cherry.  The  figures  I take 
from  Ferguson’s  Directory,  page  154,  for  year  18S3-4, 
for  the  calculation,  allowing  also  an  average  turn- 
out of  labor  equal  to. 2, 000  pickers,  and  that  each 
picker  averages  1 bushel  per  day,  94.j  days  would  be 
employed  from  beginning  to  endbf  the  harvest.  This 
is  not  the  ca^e,  however.  The  season  began  with 
I suppose  about  200  pickers,  and  as  the  harvest  called 
for  more  men  more  were  engaged,  so  as  I have  stated 
about  3,000  pickers  turned  out  daily.  A German 
Syndicate  purchased  the  property  from  Madame 
Barrios  after  her  husband’s  death,  and  have  added 
