48 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Jan., 1898. 
and by private individuals, have shown conclusively that the climate of North 
Queensland is eminently suited to the requirements of the coffee plant. The 
soil suits it; the rainfall is sufficient, and occurs at the right periods during the 
bearing season. The facilities for marketing are good, and the demand for 
coffee in the Australasian Colonies is such as to afford a certain market up to 
a certain point ; and that point is, the quantity which can be consumed in the 
colonies. When that point is reached, as now soon will be in the case of sugar, 
the question will arise, “Can Queensland compete with countries such ag 
Brazil in exporting coffee ?” 
The coffee production of the world amounts to 11,000,000 bags. Of this 
quantity, Brazil alone produces 7,000,000 bags—that is, about three-fifths of 
the world’s requirements—leaving 4,000,000 bags to be supplied by Africa, 
Arabia, the East and West Indies, Central America, Fiji, &¢., &c.—all 
countries, be it observed, where labour is cheap and plentiful. Now, this means 
a fight for Queensland. The raw coffee sold at landing in London ranges 
from 40s. to 135s. per ewt.— 
African on te ans ox 40s. to 55s. 
Costa Rica, good... ae ax 52s. to 98s. 
_ fine to finest .., xy: 101s. to 118s. 
East India, good to finest ... cot 81s. to 120s. 
7 triage ... ae tH 68s. to 90s. 
Guatemala, good to fine... Fe 56s. to 110s. 
Jamaica ox: rg og “0 61s. to 180s. 
Mocha, good to very choice old ... 96s. to 108s. to 185s, 
Mysore, good to medium... Se 86s. to 108s. 
», fine to finest an ... 106s. to 113s. to 130s. 
» triage aos oar ges 88s. to 103s. 
New Grenada 20 re enn: 68s. to 112s, 
Plantation Ceylon .., om ase 107s. to 128s. 
Santos, good to fine ... iD bea 42s. to 66s. 
Vera Paz cs rf ee ar 96s. to 115s. 
The average prices being—For good coffee, 71s. per ewt.; for fine, 103s.; for 
finest, 107s.; and for choice old Mocha, 135s. Queensland growers might 
expect to obtain a price which would probably be the average of that obtained 
for the three first qualities, or 93s. per cwt.; choice Mocha being unlikely to be 
produced here in any quantity. Experts give the yield of coffee beans (7.e., the 
finished article ready for market) per acre in North Queensland at about one ton 
per acre of 889 trees, of avalue at the above estimate of £93 per ton. According 
to some experts, the cost of picking in Queensland amounts to $d. per lb. of 
berries, or 3d. per lb. of clean coffee, assuming the average return: to be only 
% oz. of clean coffee from 1 Ib. of berries. One ton of clean coffee will there- 
fore cost £28 for picking. Taking the sale price at 8d. per lb. (£74 18s. 4d. 
per ton), and deducting the cost of clearing, fencing, planting, cleaning, pulping, 
hulling, grading, bagging, carriage, freight, commission, interest on outlay for 
four years, interest on outlay for machinery, &c., &c., it would be of much 
value to intending planters to be informed by some competent authority how 
much of the £46 13s. 4d. (balance after deducting cost of picking) would be 
left as absolute profit at the close of the season. For mea tatily it is on this 
profit that the planter must depend for his living. As far as labour is con- 
cerned, the population of Brazil is 16,500,000. One-half of these are whites, 
the remainder being made up of negroes, Malays, and Indians. Thereisno lack 
of labour, and of very cheap labour. In Queensland there is no cheap labour. 
Kanaka labour is not cheap—it is merely reliable. Mr. Buchanan, manager of 
the State Nursery, Mackay, says: “I do not think the kanaka will ever make 
a coffee-picker.’ Mr. Cowley, manager of the State Nursery at Kamerunga, 
Cairns, says: “A white labourer, in aday of ten hours, picked 90 lb. of ripe 
berries.” Slik: 
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