the coffee tree: A genus of the mognynia order, belonging to the pentandra class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 47th order, Stellata. The corolla is funnel-shaped; the stamens above the tube; the berry inferior, diploous; the seeds arillated, or having a proper exterior covering dropping off of its own accord. There is but one species, supposed to be a native of Arabia Felix. It seldom rises more than 16 or 18 feet in height; the main stem grows upright, and is covered with a light brown bark; the branches are produced horizontally and opposite, crossing each other at every joint; so that every side of the tree is fully garnished with them, and they form a sort of pyramid. The leaves also stand opposite; and when fully grown are about four or five inches long, and two broad in the middle, decreasing toward each end; the borders are waved, and the surface is of a lucid green. The flowers are produced in clusters at the root of the leaves, fitting close to the branches; they are tubulous, and spread open at the top, where they are divided into five parts; they are of a pure white, and have a very grateful odour, but are of short duration. The fruit, which is the only useful part, resembles a cherry. It grows in clusters, and is ranged along the branches under the axils of the leaves, of the same green as the laurel, but something longer. When it comes to be of a deep red, it is gathered for the mill, in order to be manufactured into those coffee-beans now so generally known. The mill is composed of two wooden rollers furnished with iron plates 18 inches long, and 10 or 12 in diameter. These moveable rollers are made to approach a third which is fixed, and which they call the chops. Above the rollers is a hopper, in which they put the coffee, from whence it falls between the rollers and the chops, where it is stripped of its first skin, and divided into two parts, as may be seen by the form of it after it has undergone this operation; being flat on the one side and round on the other. From this machine it falls into a brass sieve, where the skin drops between the wires, while the fruit slides over them into baskets placed ready to receive it: it is then thrown into a vessel full of water, where it soaks for one night, and is afterwards thoroughly washed. When the whole is finished, and well dried, it is put into another machine called the peeling-mill. This is a wooden grinder, turned vertically upon its trendle by a mule or horse. In passing over the coffee it takes off the parchment, which is nothing but a thin skin that detaches itself from the berry in proportion as it grows dry. The parchment being removed, it is taken out of this mill to be put into another, which is called the winnowing-mill. This machine is provided with four pieces of tin fixed upon an axle, which is turned by a slave with considerable force; and the wind that is made by the motion of these plates clears the coffee of all the particles that are mixed with it. It is afterwards put upon a table, where the broken berries, and any filth that may remain among them, are separated by negroes, after which the coffee is fit for sale.

The coffee-tree is cultivated in Arabia, Persia, the East Indies, the Isle of Bourbon, and several parts of America. It is also raised in botanic gardens in several parts of Europe. Prince Eugene's garden at Vienna produced more coffee than was sufficient for his own consumption. It delights particularly in hills and mountains, where its root is almost always dry, and its head frequently watered with gentle showers. It prefers a western aspect, and ploughed ground without any appearance of grass. The plants should be placed at eight feet distance from each other, and in holes twelve or fifteen inches deep. If left to themselves, they would rise to the height of 16 or 18 feet, as already observed; but they are generally stinted to five, for the convenience of gathering their fruit with the greater ease. Thus dwarfed, they extend their branches so, that they cover the whole spot round about them. They begin to yield fruit the third year, but are not in full bearing till the fifth. With the same infirmities that most other trees are subject to, these are likewise in danger of being destroyed by a worm or by the scorching rays of the sun. The hills where the coffee-trees are found have generally a gravelly or chalky bottom. In the last, it languishes for some time and then dies: in the former, its roots, which seldom fail of striking between stones, obtain nourishment, and keep the tree alive and fruitful for 30 years. This is nearly the period for plants of the coffee-tree. The proprietor, at the end of this period, not only finds himself without trees, but has his land reduced, that it is not fit for any kind of culture; and unless he is so situated, that he can break up a spot of virgin land, to make himself amends for that which is totally exhausted by the coffee-trees, his loss is irreparable.

The coffee produced in Arabia is found so greatly to excel that raised in the American plantations or elsewhere, that the cultivation of the tree is now but seldom practised in any of the British colonies. Large plantations of this kind were formerly made in some of them; and it was proposed to the parliament to give a proper encouragement for cultivating this commodity there, so as to enable the planters to undersell the importers from Arabia. Accordingly, there was an abatement of the duty payable on all coffee imported from our colonies in America, which at that time was supposed to be sufficient encouragement for this kind of commerce; but the inferiority of the American coffee to the Arabian hath almost ruined the project. Mr Miller proposes some improvements in the method of cultivation. According to him, the trees are planted in too moist a soil, and the berries are gathered too soon. They ought, he says, to be permitted to remain on the trees till their skins are shrivelled, and they fall from the trees when shaken. This will indeed greatly diminish their weight, but the value of the commodity will thereby be increased to more than double of that which is gathered sooner. In Arabia, they always shake the berries off the trees, spreading cloths to receive them, and only take such as readily fall at each time. Another cause may be the method of drying the berries. They are, he observes, very apt to imbibe moisture, or the flavour of anything placed near them. A bottle of rum placed in a closet, in which a canister of coffee-berries closely stoppered was standing on a shelf at a considerable distance, in a few days so impregnated the berries as to render them very disagreeable: the same hath also happened by a bottle of spirit of wine standing in the same closet with coffee and tea, both which were in a few days spoiled by it. Some years ago, a coffee-ship from India had a few bags of pepper put on board, the flavour of which was imbibed by the coffee, and the whole cargo spoiled. For these reasons, Mr Miller directs that coffee-berries should never be brought over in ships freighted with rum, nor laid to dry in the houses where sugars are boiled or rum distilled. When they are fully ripe, they should be shaken off when the trees are perfectly dry, and spread upon cloths in the sun to dry, carrying them every evening under under cover, to prevent the dews or rain from falling on them. When perfectly dry, they should have their outer skins beaten off, and then be carefully packed up in cloths or bags three or four times double.

The coffee-tree, as we have already observed, is sometimes cultivated in European gardens; but for this it requires the assistance of a stove. It makes a fine appearance at all seasons of the year (being an evergreen), but especially when in flower, and when the berries are red, which is generally in the winter, so that they continue a long time in that state. It is propagated from the berries; but they must be planted immediately when gathered from the tree, for they lose their vegetative quality in a very short time: when sent abroad by the post, they have constantly failed in those that have been a fortnight on their journey; so that where these trees are desired, the young plants must be sent, if it be at any distance from the place where they grow. The fresh berries may be planted in small pots, and plunged into a hot-bed of tanners bark. If the bed be of a proper temperature, the young plants will appear in a month or five weeks time; and in six weeks more, will be ready for transplanting into several pots. During summer, they must be frequently watered; but not in too great plenty, otherwise the roots will be apt to rot. The first sign of the plants being disordered is their leaves sweating out a clammy juice; after which they are over-run with insects, that cannot be destroyed till the plants have recovered their health; so that on the first appearance of these insects, the trees should be removed into fresh earth, and all possible care taken to recover them. The disorders incident to them, generally proceed either from their having been put into large pots, or from the earth about them being too stiff or over-watered. The most proper soil for them is that of a kitchen-garden, which is naturally loose, and not subject to bind, especially if it has constantly been well wrought and dunged.