May  i,  1893.1 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
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which,  he  said,  was  “ drunk  as  hot  as  they  can 
endure  it;  it  is  as  black  as  soot,  and  tastes  not  much 
unlike  it ; good,  they  say,  for  digestion  and  mirth.” 
The  fair  sex  were  particularly  disinclined  to  favour 
the  new  concoction,  and  to  such  lengths  did 
prejudice  go  that  in  1674  they  drew  up  “ The 
Women’s  Petition  against  Coffee.”  It  was  al- 
leged as  cause  of  complaint  that  “ it  made  men 
unfruitful  as  the  deserts  whence  that  unhappy 
berry  is  said  to  be  brought ; that  the  offspring 
of  our  mighty  ancestors  would  dwindle  into  a suc- 
cession of  apes  and  pigmies  ; and  (most  unpardon- 
able offence)  on  a domestic  message  a husband  would 
stop  by  the  way  to  drink  a couple  of  cups  of 
coffee.”  On  its  subsequent  growth  in  public  favour 
— though  it  became  more  popular  from  the  first  on 
the  Continent— and  its  influence  on  the  manners, 
morals,  and  politics  of  the  people,  has  shown  in 
the  history  of  the  coffee-houses  which  were  after- 
wards established  in  all  directions,  space  forbids  us 
to  dwell.  Of  late  years,  however,  as  we  have  al- 
ready said,  there  is  a marked  declension  in  the 
consumption  of  coffee  in  England,  and  perhaps  the 
primary  reason  for  this  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  coffee  admits  of  so  much  adulteration,  and  the 
trade  has  also  been  hampered  by  loose  and  costly 
methods  of  distribution. 
It  was  with  a full  realisation  of  these  two  draw- 
backs that  several  years  ago  some  enterprising 
merchants  and  coffee  brokers  in  the  City  determined 
to  form  the  Whole-Berry  Coffee  Company  (Limited), 
with  an  idea  of  replacing  the  old  elaborate  and 
costly  system  by  a simple  organisation,  which 
should  embrace  the  importer,  broker,  dealer,  and 
distributor  all  in  one,  and  by  touching  everything  at 
first  hand  it  was  hoped  to  afford  some  exceptional 
facilities  to  customers  such  as  could  be  obtained  in  no 
other  way.  Whether  they  have  succeeded  in  that 
task  the  many  large  customers  of  the  company  can 
best  judge  ; but  in  a recent  interview  with  the  able 
and  energetic  secretary  of  the  Whole-Berry  Coffee 
Company  he  stated  to  a representative  of  Money  and 
Trade  (who  went  over  the  premises  at  3 Jewry  Street 
E.C.)  that  there  were  as  many  as  3,000  names  on  their 
books  at  the  present  moment  the  clientele  including 
many  of  the  largest  hotel  proprietors  and  restaura- 
teurs in  the  United  Kingdom,  in  addition  a number 
of  firms  in  the  British  colonies  and  abroad. 
“ The  object  of  our  company,”  continued  the  secre- 
tary, “ has  been  to  supply  families  with  pure  coffee 
roasted  on  the  premises  every  day  and  packed  in 
air-tight  tins,  and  dispatched  the  same  evening.  We 
send  out  packages  of  two  pounds  and  upwards,  and 
during  the  last  two  years  business  has  increased 
largely,  and  the  export  trade  has  been  also  very 
encouraging.  We  often  consign  a quantity  of  7-lb. 
and  14-lb.  export  tins  to  India,  Australia,  New  Zealand, 
and  South  Africa.” 
In  the  course  of  subsequent  conversation  we  were 
informed  that  the  best  coffee  comes  from  Mysore, 
though  the  Central  American  coffee  from  Costa 
Rica,  <fec , it  appears,  runs  it  very  closely.  The 
Abyssinian  coffee  from  Mocha,  however,  has  a 
flavour  peculiar  to  itself,  and  this  coffee  is  enjoyed 
by  a limited  few. 
Showing  us  some  samples  of  various  l erries,  which 
certainly  differed  both  in  colour  and  flavour,  the 
secretary  said  that  in  Abyssinia  the  natives  let  the 
berry  hang  until  it  is  dead  ripe,  hence  its  yellow 
appearance  ; whereas  in  other  places,  more  especially 
in  European  colonies,  the  berries  were  quite  green 
when  picked. 
“ Look  at  these,”  he  continued,  sampling  a canister 
of  bright  gr  en  coffee  berries  from  the  island  of 
Ceylon  ; “ this  coffee  used  to  be  considered  the  very 
best  grown,  but  now  the  quantity  produced  has 
fallen  off  considerably.  The  flavour  of  Mocha  coffee,” 
he  continued,  ‘is -very  different  to  that — in  fact, 
so  marked  is  it  that  after  roasting  one  might  almost 
compare  it  to  the  difference  in  flavour  between  mutton 
and  venison,  for  the  Abyssinian  coffee  berry  has  a 
peculiarly  ‘ gurney  ’ flavour.  If  buyers  found  their 
Ceylon  coffee  to  tes  e like  that  oalled  Mocha  they 
would  ray  it  was  unclean,  and  refuse  to  touch  it,” 
“ Whilst  yon  are  referring  to  the  differences  of 
quality  in  coffee,  can  you  say  why  it  is  we  find  tha* 
on  the  Continent— in  Paris,  for  instance— the  coffee 
served  is  often  so  superior  to  that  obtained  in 
England  ?” 
‘•That  is  to  be  accounted  for  by  the  method  Of 
preparation  ; but  I maintain  that  the  very  finest  coffee 
in  the  world  comes  to  England,  and  if  the  publie 
only  get  coffee  pure,  freshly  roasted,  and  grind  it 
‘ only  when  required,’  it  will  be  found  equal  to  and 
much  better  than  any  beverage  of  the  kind  on  the 
Continent.  It  is,  however,  essential  that  the  greatest 
care  is  tBken  in  roasting  the  berries.” 
This,  it  was  explained,  is  performed  in  different  ways. 
In  Arabia,  America,  and  some  other  plaoes  it  is  done -in 
an  open  pan  over  ihe  fire.  In  this  country  we  usually 
roast  the  berries  in  a cylinder.  The  greatest  skill 
having  been  displayed  in  seleotiDg  the  best  grown 
berries,  it  ie  imperative  that  the  “.oasting”  should 
be  properly  performed,  and  the  Whole-Berry  Com- 
pany provides  for  this  by  the  particular  attention  which 
is  pain  to  that  process.  When  roasted,  the  properties 
of  tbe  berries— whether  these  berries  have  come  from 
South  or  Central  America,  Jamaica,  India,  Ceylon, 
or  Java— are  quite  transformed;  and  if  one  only 
touches  or  smells  a single  berry  this  will  be  observed, 
undone  may  detect  the  fine  aromatio  flavour  which 
characterises  fresh  coffee.  After  being  roasted  the 
coffee  should  be  used  as  soon  as  possible,  or  it  will 
spoil,  for  the  least  damp  affects  it,  and  it  readily  absorbs 
mo  sture  from  the  air.  If,  therefore,  coffee  is  not 
wanted  for  immediate  use  it  requires  to  be  securely 
packed  in  air-tight  tins, 
Turning  to  the  subject  of  adulteration,  the  secretary 
spoke  warmly  in  condemnation  of  the  pernicious  sys- 
tem which  so  often  obtains  in  mixing  large  quantities 
of  chicory  with  ooffee,  and  palming  it  off  on  the  pur- 
chaser as  a bona  fide  pure  article.  Some  idea  of  the 
magnitude  of  this  fraudulent  dealing  may  be  gathered 
from  the  fact  that,  whereas  it  is  estimated  that  the 
weight  of  the  ooffee  annually  sold  in  packets  and  tins 
throughout  the  United  Kingdom  amounts  to  more  than 
42,000  tons,  the  actual  weight  of  ooffee  upon  whioh  duty 
is  paid  for  home  consumption  is  only  about  14,000 
tons  a year.  Again,  analysis  of  43  samples  of  coffee 
obtained  some  time  ago,  and  tested  by  the  analyst,  Dr. 
B.  EL  Paul,  f.c.1.,  showed  that  11 13  contained  from 
62  to  93  per  cent  of  adulteration,  mostly  chicory  j 27 
contained  from  30  to  59  per  cent,  and  three  about  25 
per  cent  of  adulteration ; 22  of  the  number  being 
labelled  ‘ French  coffee  ’ ! ” 
The  Whole-Berry  Ooffee  Company  is  strongly  iD  favour 
of  Parliamentary  enaotment  in  regard  to  the  placing  of 
labels  on  paokages  of  coffee  mixed  with  chicory, 
and  they  urge  that  the  exact  proportion  of  eaoh 
article  should  be  clearly  stated  on  the  label,  so  that 
the  purchaser  may  see  that  adulterations  are  marked 
thuB: — “ This  mixture  is  guaranteed  to  contain  50 
per  cent  of  coffee  and  50  per  cent  of  chicory or 
that  “ This  mixture  is  warranted  to  consist  of  75 
p r cent  of  coffee  and  25  per  cent  of  chicory,”  as 
the  oase  may  be.  Also,  the  Company  strongly 
approves  ot  all  the  items  in  Dr.  Cameron’s  F>.od 
and  Drugs  Act  (1875)  Amendment  Bill.  There  has 
lately  bean  a great  agitation  on  the  subject  both  in 
the  trace  and  in  Parliament,  and  a little  time  ago 
the  matter  was  brought  directly  before  the  notice 
of  Mr.  H.  Fowler,  as  President  of  the  Local  Govern, 
ment  Board. 
'•  Tticre  is  no  fear  of  the  purchaser  getting  adul- 
terated coffee,”  remarked  the  Secretary,  ‘‘if  he  will 
only  buy  the  berries.  One  cannot  then  be  cheated, 
for,  although  there  has  been  talk  about  artificial 
berries  being  made,  depend  upon  it  there  is  really 
nothing  in  such  a suggestion.  The  coffee  which  we 
sell,  and  which  we  are  prepared  10  grind  for  ens  o- 
mers,  varies  in  price  from  Is  3d  to  Is  lOd  per  lb., 
aud  the  parcels  are  made  dp  every  day  and  dts- 
patched  free  of  oharge,  not  only  to  consumers  in 
London,  but  throughout  tbe  Unit  d Kii  gdom. 
With  a view  to  securing  only  the  best  and  pureit 
article  the  Whole-Berry  Company  is  specially  organised 
so  that  it  either  imports  its  coffee  direct  or  buys  the 
produce  from  the  importers  on  tbe  London  market  in 
Mineiog  Lane.  In  the  rear  of  this  company’s  clerical 
