It is an important fact that the supply of coffee from Ceylon, even at the present moment, and irrespective of land already planted but not yet come into full bearing, is in excess of the whole consumption of Great Britain, and the planter is thus compelled to carry the surplus to continental markets.  The exports of coffee from Ceylon have been rather stationary the past three years, averaging about 300,000 cwt.  In the sixteen years ending with 1851, Ceylon had exported 130,083 tons of coffee!

The present produce of the various coffee-growing countries in the world, may be set down at the following figures: 

SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA. 
Millions of lbs. 
Costa Rica                                        9
La Guayra and Porto Cabello                      35
Brazil                                          302
British West Indies                               8
French and Dutch West Indies                      7
Cuba and Porto Rico                              30
St. Domingo                                      331/2

ASIA AND THE EAST.

Java 140
The Philippine Isles 3
Celebes 11/2
Sumatra 5
Ceylon 34
Malabar and Mysore 5
Arabia (Mocha) 3
—–­
616 = 275,000 tons.

This I have computed as accurately as possible from the most recent returns, but it falls much below the actual capabilities of production, even with the trees at bearing, and land already under cultivation; and also, in a great measure, excludes the local consumption in the producing countries.  In many quarters there has been a considerable falling off in the production.  The British West Indies, as we have seen, formerly exported 30,000,000 lbs., the French and Dutch West Indies 17,000,000, Cuba and Porto Rico 56,000,000, and St. Domingo, in the last century, 76,000,000.  The growth of coffee has been transferred from the West to the East Indies, and to the South American Continent, where labor is more abundant, certain, and cheap.  In the East the increase in production has been enormous and progressive, with, perhaps, the exception of Sumatra, which has fallen off from 15,000,000 lbs. to somewhere about one-third of that quantity.

The following statement may be taken as an approximate estimate of the actual consumption of coffee at the present time:—­

                                           Millions of lbs. 
  Great Britain 32
  Holland and Belgium 125
  France 33
  German Customs Union 95
  Other German Countries not included 46
    in the Union, and Austria