Production of America and the West Indies.—­The cultivation of the coffee plant is largely carried on in South and Central America and the West India Islands.

Its culture has greatly increased within the last few years in Venezuela, particularly in the valleys and on the sides of the hills.  The exports from La Guayra, in 1833, were about twelve millions of pounds, being nearly double the quantity exported in 1830.  The price there is about ten dollars the 100 lbs., which is still too high to enable it to enter into competition with the produce of Brazil or Cuba.

The total produce of coffee in Venezuela in 1839 was 254,567 quintals.  The quintal is about 10 lbs. less than the English cwt.

La Guayra.—­The exports of coffee from this port in 1796, were 283 quintals.

Quintals.
1843        164,066
1844        141,934
1845        134,585
1846        175,346
1847        130,671
1850        179,537

The exports of coffee from La Guayra have been declining within the past few years; the shipments were but 153,901 quintals in 1851, and only 124,623 in 1852.

Caracas coffee ranks in our market with good ordinary St. Domingo.

The decline in the produce of coffee in the British West India possessions has been very great.  In 1838, we imported from the West India Islands and British Guiana 171/2 million pounds of coffee, in 1850 we only received 41/4 million pounds from thence.  The shipments from Jamaica have decreased from about 15 million pounds in 1836, to 4 million pounds in 1850; Berbice and Demerara, from 5 million pounds in 1837, to about 8,000 pounds in 1850.

Production of coffee in the Brazils.—­Forty-two years ago the annual crop of coffee in Brazil did not exceed 30,000 bags, and even in 1820 it only reached 100,000 bags.  About that time the high price of coffee in England, superadded to the diminished production in Cuba, stimulated the Brazilian planters to extend its cultivation, and in 1830 they sent to market 400,000 bags, or 64,090,000 lbs., and in 1847, the enormous quantity of 300,000,000 lbs.

It would seem from the annexed figures that the production of coffee in Brazil doubled every five years, up to 1840, since when it has increased eighty per cent.  The increase since 1835 has been upwards of two hundred millions of pounds, and of that increase the United States have taken one half.

lbs.
1820         15,312,000
1825         29,201,600
1830         62,685,600
1835        100,346,400
1840        170,208,800
1850        303,556,960

The sources from whence the United States derives its supplies of coffee are shown in the following table:—­

Years.  Brazil.  Cuba.  St. Domingo.  Java.  Total 1835 35,774,876 29,373,675 19,276,290 4,728,890 103,199,577 1840 47,412,756 25,331,888 9,153,524 4,343,254 94,996,095 1845 78,553,616 1,157,794 13,090,359 3,925,716 108,133,369 1850 90,319,511 3,740,803 19,440,985 5,146,961 144,986,895 1851 107,578,257 3,009,084 13,205,766 2,423,968 152,453,617

Coffee, up to 1830, paid a duty in the United States of five cents a pound.  Since 1832 it has been free.