This study analyzes the importance of the coffee plantations in São Paulo in 1905 and shows that the major coffee producers coexisted with thousands of small and medium farmers also dedicated to coffee production. This analysis of the agricultural sector also shows the existence of a large sector committed to production for the internal market, in many cases in units dedicated to coffee production. The Mogiana region was the most important agricultural zone in the state, with the Valley of Paraiba having lost its importance by this period. Our study also demonstrates the high productivity of the new agricultural zones. The expansion of the railroad system permitted paulista agriculture to expand production and to maintain its productivity. With land available and an intense European immigration providing labor, it was inevitable that coffee production was expanding. This occurred despite the low level farming technology adopted. Few farmers, even in the most dynamic region, utilized the plow or similar equipment or applied chemical fertilizers.
coffee; agriculture; São Paulo; agricultural census of 1905
