4 BULLETIN 30, x^ORTO RICO EXPERIMENT STATION. 
Each cherry usually contains two oval seeds, termed "beans' 1 
in commerce. (PI. I, fig. 2.) These are greenish or grayish 
olive in color, elliptical in outline, rounded on one side and flat- 
tened on the other, with a slightly curved suture furrowing the 
flat side. They are placed in the cherry with their flat sides to- 
gether, and when one becomes abortive the other rounds out on what 
was the flat side and develops into an oval bean which is called a 
" peaberry." Being rather attractive in appearance, the peaberry 
enjoys an unmerited reputation for superiority over the flat bean 
and retails at a slightly higher price. The coffees of the Arabian 
group contain a smaller percentage of peaberries than do those of 
the other two groups, and Porto Rican samples of the group when 
examined at the station showed a low content of peaberries. The 
beans are inclosed in a cartilaginous membrane known as the parch- 
ment, which is underlain by a semitransparent membrane termed 
the " silver skin." 
Representative beans measure 10 to 11 millimeters in length and 
6 to 8 millimeters in breadth. The number of beans in a pound of 
Porto Rican marketable coffee varies with the altitude and condi- 
tions under which the crop is produced, and may range from about 
2,400 to 3,000 or more. Judging from several counts, it is thought 
that about 2,800 beans may be considered a representative number 
for this vicinity, where a smaller cherry is produced than at higher 
elevations. 
Table 3 shows the number of beans to a pound of sun-dried, 
cleaned coffee, the proportion of peaberries to a pound of coffee, and 
the weight of moisture-free beans of the different varieties. 
Table 3. — Comparative size of beans, proportion of peaberries in pound. 
weight of different varieties. 
Variety. 
Number 
of beans 
to pound 
of sun- 
dried, 
cleaned 
coffee. 1 
Propor- 
tion of 
pea- 
berries 
in 
pound. 
Weight 
of 1,000 
dry 
beans. 
Liberica 
M aragogipe 
Dewe vrei (tree No. 2510) 
Dewevrei (general) 
Padang 
Excelsa 
Porto Rican, Las Vegas 
Columnaris 
Erecta 
Robusta 
Canephora 
Porto Rican (Mayaguez) 
Quillou 
Bourbon 
Congensis hybrids (planting No. 1) , 
Congensis hybrids (planting No. 2) . 
San Ram6n 
Mocha 
1,612 
1,674 
2.144 
2,164 
2,494 
2,707 
2,725 
2,749 
2,742 
2. 726 
2,791 
2, 857 
2,903 
2,973 
3,285 
3,352 
5,021 
Per cent. 
14 
6 
10 
23 
11 
29 
6 
10 
17 
24 
41 
8 
23 
11 
29 
2 18 
6 
14 
Grams. 
242 .4 
235.9 
189.2 
186.6 
157. 3 
154.1 
146.9 
146.4 
144.7 
144.4 
143.1 
138.9 
136.9 
130.6 
122.5 
109.3 
119.9 
78.2 
1 The moisture content of 11 of these was determined. For eight, it ranged from 12.2 to 13.8 per cent, a 
variation of 1.6 per cent, while for the three others it was 11.8, 10.8, and 8.4 per cent, respectively, a total 
variation of 5.4 per cent. This would indicate that a small allowance should be made for variation in. 
moisture content in these comparisons of sun-dried coffee. 
2 From a count of 1,000 beans rather than from a pound. 
