Chapter IV: Introduction: Of the Coffee Plant Into America

The history of the first introduction of the coffee plant into the new world is as romantic as it is interesting. In the year 1714 the French king, Louis XIV, was presented by the magistrates of Amsterdam with a fine specimen of the Coffee plant, almost five feet high and in full foliage, from the botanic garden of that city. This plant was carefully nursed, and from it some sprouts were sent to Martinique in 1717, being committed to the care of De Clieux, an officer in the French naval service, who subsequently proved himself worthy of the trust reposed in him. The voyage being long and the weather unfavorable, the whole ship’s crew were at length reduced to a short allowance of water, all the young plants dying except one for lack of nourishment. It was at this juncture that this zealous patriot divided his own scanty allowance with the plant committed to his care, happily succeeding in bringing it safe to Martinique uninjured, where it afterwards flourished and from which was propagated sufficient to supply the adjacent islands, De Tour claiming that from this single plant was produced the almost innumerable varieties now to be found on the American continent.

In 1718, however, the Dutch colony of Surinam began to introduce and cultivate Coffee, from plants received from Java. In 1722 the French governor of the adjoining colony of Cayenne, having business in Surinam, contrived, by an artifice, to bring away with him from there a small Coffee plant, which, in the year 1725, had produced many thousands, which were distributed among all the French colonies on the mainland, its cultivation being extended to Para from Cayenne, by the French, in 1732; the first Coffee plantation opened in Brazil being commenced in that province a few years later. Its cultivation, however, made little or no progress in that now world-famous Coffee-growing country until 1767, when its cultivation was still further extended to the province of Maranhao, where it soon increased rapidly under careful and judicious management.

In 1774 a Belgian monk, named Molke, procured some plants from one of the prosperous Maranhao estates, and carried them to Rio de Janeiro, the first one being planted in the garden of the Capuchin monastery of Adjuda, then situated in the suburbs, but now almost in the centre of that city. This plant prospered so well under his care, and he, becoming convinced of its future importance as a valuable acquisition to the industries of the country, that a few years later he cleared a plantation for its systematic and more extensive cultivation. Joachim Bruno, the then Bishop of Rio de Janeiro, also perceiving the valuable benefits to be derived by the country from Coffee cultivation, and to whom Brazil is indebted for the introduction and cultivation of many of its now valuable trees and plants, was accustomed to distribute the seeds of the coffee produced on Molke’s plantation and the garden of the monastery among the religious institutions of his diocese, personally recommending and encouraging its cultivation by them, at the same time presenting many specimens to the laity. From this simple and unostentatious beginning, has grown the extensive coffee-lands of to-day in Brazil, hundreds of thousands of acres of land being devoted to its culture at the present day, over $100,000,000 being invested in the industry.

From Brazil the coffee plant was later carried to Peru, Chili, Paraguay and other South American countries, while from Martinique it was first introduced into Jamaica by Sir Nicholas Lawes in 1732, a special act of Parliament being passed in that year to encourage and foster its cultivation on that island. Coffee culture is claimed to have been first introduced into San Domingo by wild fowl who carried the seeds in their craws from one of the neighboring islands about 1735, being later introduced to the smaller islands of the Antilles by the French themselves.

The Spaniards procured some plants from Martinique, and undertook its cultivation in Cuba, Porto Rico and others of their possessions in the West Indies about 1750, its culture prospering well in these islands until replaced later by the less expensive and more profitable sugar industry, but it was not until 1784 that they undertook its cultivation in their possessions on the mainland. In that year Bartholemew Blandin started a plantation in the Chacao valley, situated about a league from the now famous coffee-growing district of Caracas, a Dr. Sligo, soon afterwards, following Blandin’s example in the equally famous district of Maracaibo, the new branch of industry being soon generally adopted throughout Venezuela, Columbo, Ecuador and Bolivia, where several varieties are grown, particularly throughout the Yungas district, the best product being valued as not inferior to the far-famed Mocha itself.

In 1818 the profitableness of coffee culture in the West Indies led to the establishment of extensive plantations in Mexico in the cantons of Orizaba and Cordova, which in 1825 were in a most flourishing state, its cultivation in that country being still further extended to the valleys of the interior, in 1826 there being in Cuentla and Cuenmarca alone estates containing as many as 500,000 coffee trees. Elsewhere in Mexico at the time much attention was bestowed in extending its cultivation, great hopes being entertained that every available spot would be occupied in its cultivation and that its people would be largely engaged in its cultivation and exportation to foreign countries. But the civil disorders which begun so soon after its introduction to that country and which continued for so long a time after paralyzed the industry in its infancy, disappointing these hopes so much so that the production of coffee in Mexico has been almost limited to supplying the home demand. Now, however, a brighter era has arrived, more attention being given to its cultivation in that country, her coffee product steadily increasing and improving from year to year. From Mexico the cultivation of the coffee plant spread through Guatemala to Nicaragua, Honduras, Salvador and Costa Rica, until it is or will be grown throughout all the Central and South American countries.

Efforts have been made from time to time during the past twenty years to introduce the cultivation of coffee into the United States, many thousands of plants being distributed throughout Florida, Texas and Lower California with that object in view. Reported results to the Agricultural Department in Washington from these distributions lead to the belief that the climate is too cold for its production for commercial purposes. Some years ago the department received a sample of coffee berries which had been gathered from plants said to have been grown in the open air near the Manatee river in Florida. It was afterwards learned upon investigation that these plants had been protected during the coldest nights by canvas coverings, and in some instances with blankets, yet it is admitted that while it is more than likely that in the extreme southern parts of Florida the coffee plant would thrive without protection and in the open air, the topographical conformation of that part of the State is most unfavorable for its commercial cultivation. Again, in the extreme southern part of California climatic conditions favorable to its production have been found, but so far little encouragement has been received from the efforts to cultivate the plant in that section. Some years ago Liberian coffee-plants were introduced by the Agricultural Department, this species being hardier and needing less care and attention when transplanted to other countries. But, contrary to all precedent and expectations, they were found to require a warmer climate and more congenial topographic conditions than the Arabian species already tried. Here it is a fact worthy of note, that in many of the countries into which the coffee plant has been introduced, indigenous varieties were subsequently discovered. This is more particularly true of Liberia, Mauritius, Malabar and Manilla in the Eastern Hemisphere, and in Mexico, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Peru and Brazil in the Western. No less than sixteen different species being claimed to have been discovered in the latter country alone.