April i, iSga.l 
THE TROPICAL AORIOULTURIST. 
707 
COFFEE AND TEA IN THE UNITED STATES. 
Were we writing about Britain we ehould have 
to reverse the order of the two great beverages of 
the breakfast table. But ooSea is by far the greater 
favourite in the United States, and its aousump 
tion hat progressed enormously, while that of tea 
has soiiroely shown any increase for years back. 
And the teas whieh are oonsumod owe their origin 
to China and Japan, mainly to the latter country. 
Of BO little aooount as yet are the teas of India 
and Ceylon held, or such is the prejudice of 
loaders against them, that in a " Beview of Brices 
lor 1891 " in the American Grocer neither receives 
mention. In the case of oofiea low prices bad led 
to greatly incmasod consumption, the value of the 
imppns for the year ending June 1891 being 
$96,123,000 against an average of $62,504,000 for 
the previous five years, and actual figures lot 1886 
of only $42,672,000. Prime Rio was in that year 
down to 10-76 cents, while the year after the price 
wont up to 18 cents of a dollar, of course. 
The imports, lias exports in the year ended Juno 
1891, reached the enormous figure of 611,011,0001b. 
Whan we came to tea we get very different 
figures, figures which have varied but little for a 
dozen years. Toe imports in 1891 were only 
83.453,000 lb. valued at $13,839,000, against 
83,886,0u0 valued at $12,317,000 the pruvious yenr. 
So that over half a million pounds of coffee to 
eighty-three millions of pounds of tea are 
consumed in the United States The popu- 
lation is about 65 millions, so that tea in 
comparison with coffee in America holds a position 
not very much more favourable than that of coffee 
in comparison with tea in Oreat Britain. In the 
ten months subseqaent to June 1891 the imports 
of tea had actually shwon a decrease of more than 
five millions of pounds whan compared with the 
corresponding period of 1^90. The average prices 
of tea are not very much higher than those of 
coffee. On each recurring occasion of our noticing 
the figures for the consumption of coffee and tea 
in the United States, the more formidable do the 
difficulties appear of those who are trying to 
introduce Oeylon tea to the American msikets. 
They have not only to displace the inferior teas 
which are now favourites, but to contend with a 
taete which is every year more pronounced in 
favour of ooffee. We hope much, however, from 
the judicious representation of our product to be 
made at the Ohicago Exhibition, in the absolute 
necessity of which we still believe, because wo 
believe in crops which present outlets cannot by 
any means fu ly absorb.— The following arc the 
remarks in the American Grocer: — 
COFFEE. 
For the first time since 1888 tho consumption rises 
beyond tho figures for that year. Coffee has declined 
during tho year, and now rules on Brazil sorts 2J at 
4 cents below tho prices of one year ago. Through 
out the year spot stocks have been light. Coffee, 
when judged by the value of the imports, consti- 
tutes 11.38 per cent of tho total imports of foreign 
merchandise. The value of the imports for the 
fiscal year ending June 30, 1801, was $06,123,777, 
against a yearly average for the preceding five years 
01 $62,504,096, an increase of $33,619,681. In 1886 
tho imports wore valued at less than one-half tho 
value in 1891, being $12,672,937. That was a year 
of low prices, the average cost of fair to prime 
Rio being 10.76 cents. Tlie next year marked the 
beginning of an era of high cost, the average 
rising to 18.11 cents for the same grade. This year 
marks another change toward a basis of lower figures 
^nd undoubtedly a steady increase in consumption. 
The imports into the United States for the year 
nding June 30, 1891, loss exports, compare with 
the preceding year as follows : 
1891. 1890. 
Pounds. Pounds. 
Imports less exports .. .''.11,041,4!>9 490161,900 
The consumption for tho year ending Deo. 31, 
1891, at six porta was 233,058 tons, against 209,4.5, 
tons in 1890, a gain of 23,601 tons, or 11.2 per cent, 
which, under normal conditions, is above the average' 
annual increase in consumption. 
Tiie average monthly cost of 'leading varieties of 
coffee, and the average for the year, are shown in the 
following table: 
Rio, 
No. 7. 
Bio, 
No. 3 
Maracaibo. 
iTan. 
17-43 
19-23 
19-05 St 22 90 
F.bs ... 
17-72 
19-50 
20 at 22 25 
March ... 
18-67 
20 26 
19 60 at 22 25 
April 
18 20 
2ffl3 
18-60 ai 20 60 
May 
18-80 
20- 
18-87 at 23 37 
Jnne 
17-33 
l.S-CO 
17 75 St 19-62 
July 
17-60 
19-23 
17 70 St 19 50 
Au'just. ... 
17 12 
18-85 
18 12 at 20-12 
Sppt. 
15 20 
16 98 
16-90 at 1800 
Oct. 
12-85 
14 55 
16. at 18-62 
Nnv- 
13-48 
10-18 
17- St 20-81 
Deo. 
13-55 
1524 
17-25 at 22-00 
Avernget 
1891. 
16-46 
18-15 
18-05 Kt 20-91 
Padaiig, 
mats. 
3310 St 24-40 
24- at 25 37 
21-50 at 25 50 
24 26 at 25-60 
21 25 at 25 SO 
2-t 26 at 25 60 
24- 55 at 25 70 
25 SO at 26 50 
25 25 at 26-26 
26' at 26- 
25- at 26- 
24-60 at 26-60 
24 51 at 26 64 
During several months of the past year there has 
been a great scarcity of desirable grades of Bio coffee 
so that Fair or No. 3, and at times grades bol -w No. 
7 and above No. 3 have commanded a premium 
varying from i to 3 cents per pound above the basis 
of Exchange quotations and the establiahed differenoe 
between grades. 
While the above table shows a decline of 4 cents in 
Brazil coffee, the average annual coat is only IJ cents 
per pound loss than In 1890, when it was 19.64 cents 
for Fair (No. 3) Bio; in 1889, 18.55 cents; in 1888 
15.35 cents; in 1887, 17.80 cents ; iu 1886. 10.32 cents’ 
in 1885, 9 01 cents. ’ 
The sales on tho Coffee Exchange during 1891 wei-e 
7,738,000 bags, against 9,733,000 bags in 1890. 
The imports of tea for the year ending June .30th 
1891 were 83,4,53,3.39 pomids, valued at $18 828 99,3 
against 83,886,829 pounds, valued at $12,817,49,3' for 
tlio preceding year. 
For tho ten mouths of the calendar year ending 
Oct. 31at, 1891, the imports were 65,235,080 pounds 
valued at $10,447,252, against 70,916,020 Bounds’ 
yaluod^at $10,761,728 for the corresponding^period 
It will bo noted that while the average deslared 
value of tea unported during the fiscal vear ending 
Juno Mth, 1891, was 17 cents at porrorBhi;me”t® 
being 2 cents per pound higher than in 18TO the 
average cost ol medium Japan in the New York 
i,T“ <=.e"‘s pet pound lower in 1891 than in 
1890, while superior Formosa varied only one-third of a 
average of the previons year. 
The lollowiDg table ezbibita the average imporl 
price at the point of exportation as compared with 
preceding years : 
Years — 
1891 ... 
Cents 
.. 17. 
1890 ... 
... 15. 
18S9 
... 
... 
... 15-9 
1888 ... 
• •• 
. . 15.8 
1887 ... 
... 
.. 18.7 
1886 ... 
4 . 
... 196 
The following table shows the average monthly 
