a) QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Szrr., 1898. 
COFFEE NOTES. 
We have been frequently asked to give information on coffee-growing, not 
only in Queensland, but in other parts of the world. We therefore devote 
considerable space to this very important industry in this issue of the Journal. 
The various articles now published are from the most reliable tropical journals, 
more especially from the Zropical Agriculturist, Colombo :— 
COFFEE PROSPECTS IN BRAZIL. 
The following has been received from the British Consulate, at Santos 
Brazil, in reply to a communication sent by the Singapore Chamber of 
Commerce asking for information. The letter is being circulated to all 
members of the Chamber :— 
1. Actual prices in Brazilian currency are still remunerative for the ~ 
smaller part of production in the State of San Paulo. ‘The greater part, say 
about two-thirds, however, depend on heavy interests on mortgages and 
excessive expenses, the, more so, as during the times of high coffee—prices 
and prosperity—the majority of these estates were bought and laid out to 
culture at double and triple of actual value. Should currency rise, and prices 
in the consuming quarters not follow accordingly on account of the pressure 
of the extraordinary large stocks, a great portion of the culture would be 
voted to misery, principally in the more distant coftee-growing districts, 
where the expensive cost of transport and higher railway tariffs interfere 
seriously with the result. 
2. The cultivation is not dependent to any appreciable extent on European 
capital, and only a smail number of estates or plantations are worked under 
European management. 
3. There are no prospects of cheaper labour than that furnished by the 
Italian immigrants. Several attempts have been made with other immigrants 
(Siberian, Russian), but failed completely. Japanese labour is not being 
employed, although there appear periodically strong endeavours to attract the 
Japanese immigration. - Under the actual critical cireumstances and the heavy 
crisis the country is undergoing, there is no probability of any propaganda for 
other immigration than Italian proving successful. 
4. As stated under item 1, many estates would have to be abandoned, if 
actual critical conditions were to last and bring about lower prices. Even with 
actual value of coffee, production is most probably to be curtailed by the fact 
of many planters not being able to give their plantations sufficient care as to 
cleaning the ground and eventually manuring. 
5. The reason of foreign capital not having been invested in Brazilian 
estates to a more considerable extent was in first place the slavery up to 
1888, and since then political uncertainty and the everlasting republican 
troubles. 
BRAZILIAN COFFEE. 
Coffee-planting in Brazil has for many years completely overshadowed all 
the other branches of industry and agriculture in that vast country, and no 
check seems probable in the near future to the constant increase of the already 
enormous trade. Last year the exports from Rio consisted almost exclusively 
of coffee, the supply of which exceeded in quantity that of any previous 
season, having far surpassed all calculated expectations. The entries at Rio 
and Santos totalled 10,032,390 bags, an increase over 1896 of 2,701,584 bags, 
and the shipments from the two ports were 9,687,317 bags. The average value 
was about 36s. per bag. The unprecedented supply, greatly in excess of the 
consumption, caused prices to drop to a point hitherto unknown in the history 
of the article, type No. 7, in November, having been sold in Rio at about 68. 
6d. for 82 lb. In the same month, 1896, the lowest quotation for this quality 
was 10s. 2d. for 82 1b. The large inerease in production is the inevitable result 
of the very high prices which ruled from 1887 to 1896. ‘These prices gave an 
