202 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Mar., 1902. 
Tropical Industries. 
COFFEE IN BRAZIL AND JAVA. 
Tn a communication to the Journal of the Jamaica Agricultural Society it 
is stated that an exceedingly large area of land in Brazil, formerly sugar-cane 
lands, but subsequently planted in coffee, have now practically been proved to 
be quite unsuited for growing coffee, owing to the intense heat and dryness. 
This was to have been expected, but certainly the confirmation comes with 
great effect. The coffee-trees are described as being partially burnt up or 
roasted, whilst growing—in French, grille sur-pied—roasted on foot. Brazilian 
coffee is mainly exported from Santos, where an exceedingly short crop is 
anticipated. One account puts the loss at 30 per cent. It will be remem- 
bered that the exceedingly large exports from Santos to New York, some two 
years ago, had the effect of lowering the price of ordinary coffee beyond 
precedent, and it may reasonably be supposed that, with the lessened export 
that is now in prospect, and one existing cause of low prices being removed, 
better prices are in store for the ordinary coffee so largely produced in 
Jamaica. In this connection it may be mentioned that in Java also a new and 
very injurious disease has just begun to manifest itself extensively in numerous 
coffee plantations, the damage being due to two sorts of boring insects, which 
pierce both the growing wood and the coffee-cherries. 
PULPING LIBERIAN COFFEE. 
(Translated from the Journal d'Agriculture Tropicale.) 
The pulping of Liberian coffee (Coffea libericx) is attended with much more 
difficulty than that operation on Coffea arabica. This is principally owing to the 
unequal size of the berries, which prevents the pulping apparatus being properl 
regulated, and also to the nature of the pulp, aah is harder, more fibrous, atl 
above all, more closely adherent to the berry. 
Since plantations of Liberian coffee have multiplied, all the manufacturers 
of coffee-pulping machines have directed their efforts towards overcoming the 
difficulties, and almost all have placed on the market machines which are more 
or less modifications of the pulpers for Coffee arabica. There are several of 
them which deserve special notice, considering the results they have shown. 
We may mention those of John Gordon in England, of Graafland in Hol- 
land, of Butin-Schaap and of Van Riemsdek in Java. These two last machines 
took part in a special competition organised in 1900 at Genampir (KJatten). 
At the conclusion of the trials, De Indische Mercuur published a long account 
of them. We are now obtaining the necessary information concerning them, 
and we hope in the near future to furnish it to the readers of the Journal 
@ Agriculture Tropicale. 
To-day we shall speak of the Liberian coffee-pulpers of Messrs. J. Gordon 
and Co., London, and are able to present two illustrations of them. 
For this particular class of work, the Messrs. Gordon have abandoned the 
disk type in favour of the cylindrical type. On this principle they have con- 
structed two machines—one for hand, the other for motor power, the latter 
differing slightly in the method of working. 
In both, the cylinder is of rather large diameter. It is covered with a 
thick plate of copper; the teeth (déchirewrs—lit. rippers, Ed. Q.A.J.) and 
projections are stronger, and farther apart than in the ordinary pulpers. The 
counter-plate is formed of adjustable steel plates, mounted on hinges, and 
regulated by screws and nuts. 
