THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
Sept, i, 1897 .] 
209 
COFFEE NOTES. 
In 1895 France imported 142,156.372 kilos of coffee, 
of which 56.734,903 were from Brazil. 
A company of Americans has recently purchased 
60,000 acres of coffee, on the Rio Tinto, in the state 
of Oaxaca, Mexico, and will cnlon'ze the tract with 
several hundred American fam.ues. 
Experiments have been recently made with hot 
talc for drying coffee, and excellent results ar’e re- 
ported. It is stated that freshly gathered coffee, can 
be dried in this way in four hours and that the article 
thus prepared is superior in aroma color and weight 
to coffee prepared by other processes . — The Uio Neio.i, 
July 6 , 
A SUBSTITUTE FOR COFFEE. 
Consul Denster, under date of April 8 , writes from 
Crefeld : 
Believing that it will prove of interest to the malt- 
coffee manufacturers of the United States, I submi 
the following report for publication : 
Uunder the firm name of Katheriner's Malz-Kaffee- 
Fabriken, factories have been established in Germany 
— of which one exists in this consular district, at Mer- 
dingen-on-the-Rhine, and others at Munich and Beriin 
—for the purpose of manufacturing a coffee substitute 
from cereals. The invention relates to an improve- 
ment in preparing the same, which consists in applying 
to the grain during the steeping process, an electric 
current proportionate to the quantity and quality of the 
grain whereby the proteid substances existing in the 
grain are altered in such a manner that, in the subse- 
quent roasting process, only a small quantity of the 
products of decomposition (as pyridine and its deriva- 
tives which are objectionable to the taste) can be 
formed, a substitute pleasant to the taste being 
obtained. 
Under this patent, factories have also been esta- 
blished in Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland and 
Sweden. The inventor has also applied for a patent 
in the United States . — American Grocer, July 7. 
^ 
NEWS ITEMS. 
(From the Chemist and Druggist, i'i.) 
The Perfumery-trade of Nice. — The manufacture 
of perfumery goods iu Nice is on the increase. In 
1896 1,-420 cwt., worth 10,684?., was exported; the 
year before 1,120 cwt., worth 8,4927. 
Paraguayan Oil of Petitghain. — There has lately- 
been an increase in the shipments of petitgcain 
oil from Paraguay. The oil is exported chiefly 
to France. The principal seat of the industry in 
Paraguay is at Yaguaron, a village about twelve 
miles from the railway. 
Armour’s Pepsin-factory Burned. — The Practical 
Druggist reports the destruction of Armour & Co.’s new 
pepsin factory at Chicago by fire. A terrific explosion 
was heard in the factory, and almost before the 
alarm could be sounded the big six-storey building 
was in flames. Every available engine in the city 
was set to the fire, which is in the centre of the 
stock-yards district, and the fire was checked after 
it had completely destroyed the factory. The 
building was only completed in May, and the 
machinery was moved into it ten days before the 
fire. The explosion which st irted the fire was 
in the chemical store room. The damage done is 
about 175,000. 
Rinderpest in South Africa. — It is reported from 
Cape Town that satisf.ictory experiments have been 
made with the new method of inoculation discovered 
by Dr. Edington. 
^ 
THE ENGLISH DRUG-CROPS. 
Only a fevv weeks still separate us from the season 
when the English peppermint and lavender plants 
will be put in the still. According to our custom, 
we have asked some of the principal growers to give 
us oneii. upmioub or cne state ot the crops and sub- 
join some of the replies received ; — 
Messrs. V/. J. Bush & Co. (Limited) say; “We 
think we are justifiea m anticipating very good crops 
both of Mitcham peppermint and lavender oils, es- 
pecially of the former. It is true that the youmr 
cuttings which were planted last antumu s-lffe-cd 
severely from the excessive rains, and a large luimbm- 
of them ‘damped off’ and were lost; but as ilie 
wea her m tlie eai’ly sprixTg was so very fH.vonrable 
for mint-growiug, we know that several farmers plan- 
ted more cuttings, which have done remarkably wUl 
aud, in fact, look as strong and healthy as those 
which survived the bad weather of the autumn We 
are sanguine, therefore, of a good crop, and although 
the acreage is slightly smaller than Jast yeai iL 
think that the deficiency will be made up by a Vood 
yield of oil. So far as lavender is concerned w^'’ be 
heve a good crop wdll also be obtained. The fields 
look very healty, and the fanners are gettino- ov-r 
the loss of plants which they sustained by the's-vers 
weather of some years a^o." - 'uio 
Messrs. John Jackson* Co. report; “Our nlanti 
tions of mint, lavender, chamomile, and rosem irv’ 
are this year of a most promising appearance, and 
ead us to expect fiae crops. Mints are gratifyiim to 
look at, eipjcully the white sorts, which have now 
become fully developed in most of our fields In ihl 
early part of June botli black and white mints were 
tnin and undeveloped, but since then the rain-storms 
followed by sunny days and high temperature have 
changed the appearance of the vegetation within p 
few days, and by the end of June the plants wre 
fully expanded, and had taken such a vigorous st n f 
than they were covering the soil sj thickly and uni- 
formly as to prevent the air circulating round the 
stems. As a result the lower leaves soon turned 
yellow and withered, and they may, if we a 
from appearance get dry and fall before rioen' im 
thus impairiog the coming crop (should this dpuiale 
become general), as no remedy could possibly a ml 
Our lavender-plantations are, as a vvhoie very fi„i' 
and promise a fair crop, Sliould this expeetpLon h, 
realised we may be induced to lower our mice 
which for some years past h i-ye been kept hio-h 
causing foreign inferior oils to come in to the°ni’aXt 
m preference to_ our higher-grade Mitcham lavenUei 
oils. Rosemary is also in a very satisfactory coiui. 
t.on, and w, 1 , we trust, give us full sati fac^im 
The chamomile-plants have grown wTh abuor n i 
vigour, and the first flowers seem •muem U 1 
small. We fear therefore, tliat the Todue develmf 
merit of the leaf may lessen the yield of the flower-” 
Messrs. J. & R V. Matth.w Brothers say th"t 
the peppermint-fields look fai. ly well, but will nm 
yield a neavy crop if. the present dry weather shouM 
continue. Lavender >s a ye;y in. afferent crop, owing 
to blight ; appearances mdio .te a light yield. Chamo 
miles look well. Messrs. Matthew Brothers add 
these observations reter to th a- own growth only 
Messrs. W. Ransom & Ron, of Hitchin say Th« 
prospects of onr mops, wit:, one important Exception 
are airly good. Henbane, however, is shorter haj 
we have known it for many years, and the p ms 
of extract end eat ought to be much Jii--hei than 
they are The beliadonna-crop is about eqTiai to last 
years. Lavender and peppermint both iLk -wo/l L 
present, but much will depend upon the wea ht- 
during the ne.xt few weeks. Aconite is abundant ■ 
but the prospects for elatsrinm are liardly ud to VL 
average. ^ 
It will be seen that our informants, with theexcen- 
on of Messrs. Matthew Brothers, are unauimoL m 
then anticipaiuon of good crops tor tiie leading 
essential-oil plants. TheMessrs. Matthew’s view a f 
in peculiar contrast to those of tiie other giv u!- x 
and we must say that our own geneial observations le ,‘,i 
us to draw the same conclusions as the m.-ijonty of 
our concspoudenls. But the Messis. Mat hew it 
wi 1 be seen, expressly state that their statements 
refer to tlieir own fields oiily. 
