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THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept,  t,  1896. 
cpnstitutea  a cause  for  divorce.  Writing  in  1624 
Fraucia  Bacon  says  : “ They  have  in  Turkey  a drink 
called  collce  and  this  drink  comforteth  the  brain 
and  heart  and  helpeth  digestion.”  Still  Loudon  did 
not  have  a public  coffee  house  until  1652  and  Paris 
1672.  Immediately  coffee  houses  arose  in  every 
European  city.  According  to  Macauley,  vi’riling  in 
the  early  years  of  this  century  ; •“  Coffee  houses  were 
the  chief  organs  through  which  public  opinion  vented 
itself  and  every  man  of  the  upper  or  middle  classes 
went  daily  to  his  coffee  house  to  learn  the  news  and 
discuss  it.”  About  the  same  time  Sydney  Smith  was 
also  proclaiming  “If  you  want  to  improve  your 
understanding,  drink  coffee.”  The  fact  remains  that 
coffee  is  better  prepared,  as  well  as  copiou-sly  used 
instead  of  other  stimulants  in  continental  cities  than 
in  Great  Britain.  In  1809  an  extensive  cultivation  of 
the  coffee  plant  w'as  begun  in  England  under  the  ad- 
vocacy of  Bishop  Compton.  Another  Englishman, 
George  Bird,  was  the  pioneer  coffee  planter  in  Ceylon 
(1820^.  , . 
Because  of  its  stimulative  properties  the  use  of 
coffee  is  prohibited  generally  in  fevers.  It  is  an  ex- 
cellent disinfectant.  Place  a couple  of  red-hot  coals 
on  a fire  shoveh  then  sprinkle  two  or  three  spoonfuls 
of  coffee  over  them  and  the  aroma  will  not  only 
sweeten  the  room,  but  prevent  the  spread  of  disease. 
In  the  French  colonies,  where  coffee  is  greatly  used, 
gout  is  said  to  be  unknown.  Arctic  explorers,  men 
accompanying  caravans,  as  well  as  soldiers,  claim 
they  can  endure  more  fatigue  under  the  stimulus  of 
coffee  than  fermented  liquors. 
Unfortunately,  there  are  coffee  drunkards  just  as 
there  are  kerosene,  parafine,  castor  oil  and  cod-liver 
oil  drunkards.  Coffee  was  forbidden  as  a drink  by 
the  Koran.  Intemperate  creatures  have  been  known 
to  drink  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  cups  of  coffee 
per  day.  Not  unnaturally  tapering  off  has  occasioned 
much  the  same  mental  and  physical  derangement 
as  the  alcohol  habit.  Recently  a Nebraska  woman 
had  an  acute  attack  of  delirium  tremens,  when  forced 
to  forego  her  accustomed  twenty  cups  per  day. 
The  adulterants  of  coffee  are  ground  wheat,  rye, 
dandelion  root  and  chicory.  Perhaps  because  it  has 
been  deemed  harmless  and  deepens  the  color,  the 
use  of  chicory  has  been  legalized.  There  is  another 
substitute,  called  Swedish  coffee,  but  we  do  not  find 
much  of  it  in  this  country.  The  French  favor  the 
essence  of  coffee.  In  Sumatra  natives  use  the  coffee 
leaves  the  same  as  we  use  tea  leaves.  Coffee  is  a 
most  economical  food,  for  it  will  support  life  on  a 
less  additional  quantity  of  solid  food  than  would 
otherwise  be  required. 
It  has  been  computed  that  each  person  in  the 
United  States  consumes  in  the  year  nine  and  one- 
half  pounds  of  coffee. 
To  make  a good  cup  of  coffee  is  not  so  simple 
as  it  reads.  A mixture  of  two  kinds  of  beans — 
two-thirds  Java  and  one-third  Mocha — produces  most 
satisfying  results.  Apropos,  only  a small  quantity 
of  Mocha  finds  its  way  past  Constantinople.  Miss 
Parloa  claims  the  best  coffee  comes  from  Guate- 
mala.  , , , 
Beans  should  be  freshly  roasted  when  feasible. 
At  least,  heat  the  beans  before  grinding  and  do  not 
grind  too  fine.  Do  not  be  afraid— use  a full  cup  of 
beans  to  a quart  of  water.  Mix  the  egg  well  with 
the  dry  coffee  and  above  all  be  sure  that  the  coffee-to 
is  clean. — Interstate  Grocer. 
“ACME”  TEA  CHESTS. 
In  these  days  wlien  a scarcity  of  inomi  tea 
chests  threatens  to  become  a serious  evil,  tlie 
advantages  of  the  “Acme”  steel  chests,  made  in 
three  si^es  by  tlie  Acme  Package  Co.,  Ltd.,  of 
(jlascrow,  have  been  brougdit  to  our  notice.  That 
thes^  cliests  are  coming  into  favour  is  evidenced 
not  only  by  the  testimonials  in  their  favour,  but 
bv  the  fact  that  1,750,000  lb.  of  the  Indian 
sea.son’s  tea  of  1894  was  earned  in  Acme  chests. 
Chests  for  10,000,000  lb.  of  1895  season’s  tea 
have  been  supplied,  and  the  orders  which  are 
now  being  placed  indicate  tliat  the  quantity  in 
1896  will  be  three  times  as  much.  It  is  claimed 
for  tlie  Acme  diesis  that  tliey show  an  advantage 
over  wooden  chests  of  from  ls4d  to  3s  5d  per  100  lb. 
of  tea.  Messrs.  P'inlay,  Muir  fv:  Co.,  wlio  are  the 
agents  for  Ceylon,  liavea  supply  in  stock  ; and,  to 
meet  a growdng  demand,  a large  quantity  has  been 
indented  for. 
CEYLON  PATENTS. 
The  following  Grants  of  Exclmsive  Privilege 
have  been  granted  under  the  inventions  Ordinance 
during  the  half-year  ended  June  30,  1896: — 
No.  481. — To  Samuel  Cleland  Davidson,  of  Sii'occo 
Eugiueeriug  Work-i,  Belfast,  Ireland,  merchant,  for 
improvements  in  apparatus  for  packing  lea  or  other 
substances  into  chests,  boxes,  or  other  receptacles. 
— January  21,  1896. 
No.  186. — To  Edwin  Rice  Wiggin,  of  Liudula,  and 
John  Grieve,  of  Hatton,  for  improvements  in  machi- 
nary  for  rolliug  tea  leaf. — January  24,  1896. 
No.  491. — To  Gilliam  Jackseu,  of  Thorngrove, 
Maunofield,  Aberdeen,  North  Britain,  engineer,  for 
improvements  in  apparatus  for  rolling  tea  leaf  and 
the  like. — February  23,  1896. 
No.  489. — To  Samuel  Cleland  Davidson,  of  Sirocoo 
Engineering  Works,  Belfast,  Ireland,  merchant,  for 
improvements  in  multitubular  air-heating  apparatus. 
— February  28,  1896. 
No.  495. — Jules  Lemichel,  of  52,  Rue  Lourmel, 
Paris,  in  the  Republic  of  Prance,  engineer,  for  im- 
provements in  or  connected  with  apparatus  for  raising 
liquids. — March  12,  1896. 
No.  487 — .To  William  Jackson,  of  Thorngrove, 
Mannofield,  Aberdeen,  North  Britain,  engineer,  for 
improvements  in  apparatus  for  subjecting  materials 
to  the  action  of  hot  air,  more  especially  intended 
for  use  in  drying  tea  leaves  and  other  produce  only 
in  so  far  as  the  action  of  an  iron  bar  for  spreading 
the  tea  leaves  on  their  descent  from  the  upper  to 
the  lower  tray  is  concerned. — April  28,  1896. 
No.  494. — To  Samuel  Cleland  Davidson,  of  Sirocco 
Engineering  Works,  Belfast,  Ireland,  merchant,  for 
improvements  in  apparatus  for  limping  of  withering 
tea  leaf  or  for  drying  vegetable  or  other  substances. 
May  16,  1896. 
No.  490. — To  Samuel  Cleland  Davidson,  of  Sirocco 
Engineering  Works,  Belfast,  Ireland,  merchant,  for 
improvements  in  stoves  or  apparatus  for  heating  air. 
—May  16,  1896. 
No.  502. — To  Taylor  Burrows,  of  88,  Upper  Ken- 
ningtou  lane,  London,  England,  engineer,  and  Hor- 
ace St.  John  Kelly  Douisthorpe,  of  73,  West  Crom- 
well road,  London,  England,  gentleman,  for  im- 
provements in  apparatus  for  removing  the  tieshy  or 
pulpy  or  uon-fibrous  material  from  leaves,  stems,  or 
plants  to  extracts  the  fibre  therefrom. — June  16,  1896. 
No.  506. — To  John  Melville  Boustead,  merchant, 
Cololmo,  Ceylon,  for  an  improved  apparatus  for  desi- 
cating. — June  30,  1896. 
No.  498. — To  Robert  Jamieson  Browne,  electrical 
engineer,  at  present  electrician  to  the  British  India 
Steam  Navigation  Company,  Limited,  of  16,  Strand 
road,  Calcutta,  in  the  Province  of  Bengal,  East  India, 
for  punkah  pulling  or  causing  any  such  similar  osci- 
latiug  motion. — June  30,  1896. 
The  Germans  Becoming  a Nation  of  Tea 
Drinkers. — The  Chemist  and  Druggist  of  June 
13  says : — 
There  are  signs  that  the  Germans  will  gradually 
abandon  their  old  habit  of  taking  coffee,  and  become 
a nation  of  tea-drinkers.  Tea  is  already  the  fashion- 
able refreshment  of  the  upper  classes,  and  is  gradu- 
ally obtaining  favour  in  more  plebeian  circles.  Tuis 
is  partly  due  to  the  deterioration  in  the  quality  of 
coffee  and  partly  to  the  increase  of  coffee  substitutes 
such  as  “ malt-coffee,”  consisting  of  slightly  malted 
and  lightly  roasted  barley,  sometimes  sweetened,  and 
retailing  at  twopence  a pound.  Few  articles,  it  would 
seem,  have  a bettor  future  in  Geimany  than  tea. 
