COFFEE VARIETIES IN PORTO RICO. 5 
In preparing coffee for market the skin and pulp are removed in 
the pulping machine, then the beans are fermented, washed, and 
dried, and finally the parchment and the silver skin are removed. 
Table 4 shows the loss in weight of each variety in the process of 
preparing the beans for market. 
Table 4. — Reduction in weight of coffee occurring during preparation for 
market. 
\ Varieties listed according to ratio of weight of coffee cherry to weight of cleaned bean.] 
Variety. 
Quillou 
Canephora 
Congensis hybrids 
Robusta 
San Ram6n 
Porto Rican (Las Vegas) 2 
Maragogipe 
Mocha 
Columnaris 
Erecta 
Bourbon 
Padang 
Excelsa 
.Dewevrei (tree No. 2510) . 
Dewevrei (general) 
Liberica 
Weight 
Weight 
weight 
of 1 
almud of 
coffee 
cherries. 
of sun- 
dried, 
of coffee 
cherries 
cleaned 
beans 
from 
almud. 
required 
per unit 
of cleaned 
beans. 
Pounds. 
Pounds. 
31| 
8 
3.9 
29§ 
7| 
4.0 
29^ 
7 
4.2 
29& 
n 
4.4 
2m 
5H 
5.1 
29i 
<*T5 
5.4 
29| 
5Sr 
5.5 
28& 
5"T5 
5.5 
2S& 
5 
5.7 
28H 
*i 
6.3 
28} 
^ 
6.3 
29-& 
*?* 
6.6 
28H- 
4 
7.2 
28A 
3i 
7.5 
29£ 
3f 
7.9 
28^ 
2f 
10.2 
Loss in 
weight 
from dry 
coffee in 
parch- 
ment to 
cleaned 
beans. 1 
Per cent. 
12 
12 
13 
14 
15 
17 
17 
20 
18 
19 
16 
18 
26 
24 
27 
33 
1 Computed for the first four from 500 grams each of parchment coffee rather than from the almud. A 
sample of Porto Rican coffee as check for these ran 17 per cent. 
2 These data were obtained from a coffee plantation about 7 miles east of Mayaguez, where the land is 
fairly representative of the coffee region. 
In the sample of Porto Rican (Las Vegas) coffee reported in 
Table 4 an almud of cherries gave 5 pounds 7 ounces of cleaned 
beans, the reduction from cherry coffee to cleaned bean being in the 
ratio of 5.4 to 1, a very favorable ratio, surpassed in this group by 
only one variety. 
CHARACTERISTICS OF PORTO RICAN COFFEE. 
Porto Rican coffee has been popular in Europe but is little known 
in the States. The following are some opinions regarding it : 
For some years past France has offered the best market in Europe for Porto 
Rican coffee and ranks next to Cuba, which takes the bulk of the crop. * * * 
The current retail price for a good grade of Porto Rican coffee is 37.7 cents 
per pound. For purposes of comparison it may be stated that the retail prices 
per pound for other coffees are now as follows, in cents : St Marc, 32.2 ; Mala- 
bar, 35 ; Santos, 31.3 ; Rio, 31.3 ; Gonaives, 31.3 ; Mocha, 36.8 ; Java, 36.8 ; Bour- 
bon, 37.7. Porto Rican coffee is highly regarded in France and is frequently 
blended with Mocha in equal proportions.* 
* * * The superior grades of coffee from Porto Rico now rank among 
the best growths produced anywhere. 
8 The coffee market of Havre, by Consul J. B. Osborne, Havre, France. Dailv Cons, and 
Trade Rpts., Nov. 23, 1912, p. 1006. 
