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ah(i the following fearon, when theXadada is taken 

 vp for ufe, the ground fhould be Vorkcd between 

 the young plants, being very careful not to injure 

 their roots by this operation. This method of plant- 

 ing the Caffada between the yoUng Chocolate-trees, 

 is of great advantage to the planter ; for when the 

 roots of the Caffada are taken up for ufe^' it will de- 

 fray the expence of keeping the ground cTeaii from 

 weeds, without which the young plants will come to 

 nothing/- The Plantains alfo, which will be fit to 

 cut in about twelve months after planting, will de- 

 fray the whole expence of preparing the ground, fo 

 that the produce of the Chocolate-trees will be neat 

 profit; for as the Plantains produce fruit and decay, 

 they will be fucceecfed by fucker^, which will produce 

 fruit in eight months after; whereby there will be a 

 continual fupply of food for the negroes, which will 

 more than pay for keeping the ground wrougKt,'lhd 

 clear fforfi weeds, until the Chocolate-trees begin to 

 produce fruit, which is generally the third year after 

 planting. -, ■ > ' ■ ^'' '' -^^-' ^^'■^■ 



The planters 

 three months 



c 



- 



- 4* moclerate crop, but tliey generally pull off fome 



,. flowers from thole trees which are weak, that thi-y 



' may recover ftrcngth bef5r€ they Art too old. 



From the time when the fiowers fall off, to the rhu- 



t 

 1 



J 



i 



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±1 



ufually fet the Plantain-trees two or 

 before the Chocolate-nuts are ripe, 

 that they may be large enough to afford fhelter'to the 

 young plants when they come up -, and the Caffada 

 is always planted a month or fix weeks before the 

 Chocolate-nuts, for the fame reafon. 'Sorne people 

 plant Potatoes, 6thers Cucdriibers arid Melons, or 

 -Water Melons, between the rows of Chocolate plants; 

 which, they fay, will prevent the weeds from rifing 

 to injure the young plarifsV for "is all thefe trail on 

 the ground, they occupy the whole furface, and pre- 

 vent the weeds from growing: but where tliis is 

 pradlifed, it Ihould be done with great cauttdn, left, 

 by being over-covetous, you injilre the young Cho- 

 colate-nuts fo much, that they may never recover 

 it ; therefore great care fhould be taken t6"feduce the 

 Ihoots of thefe plants, whenever^ they approach the 



* - 



- turity of the fruit. Is about four irionths; It, is ealy 

 to know when the fruit is ripe by the colour of the 

 pods, which become' yelloV/ oh th<? fide next the fun. 

 In gathering the fruit, they generally place a negro 

 to each row of trees; v/ho, being furnifiied with a 



^bafket, goes from treeto6ve, aiid cuts off all tliole 



whi^h are ripe, leaving the others for a longer time 

 to ripen;" When the baiket is full, he carries the 

 fruit, and lays it' in ^'tmtpitonc ^nd of the plan- 

 tation ; where, after they have gathered the v/h6!e 

 plantation, they cut the pO(3s lengthways, and take 

 out all the nuts, beirig careful to diveft them of the 

 pulp which clofely adhered to them'; and then tlicy 

 " carry them to the houfe, where they lay them in large 

 ■'^caflcs, or other veflils of wood, raifed above ground, 

 and cox^r thehl with kaves of the Indian Reed and 

 mats, upon which they lay fome boards, putting 

 fome ftones thereon to keep them down clofe, in 

 order to prefs the nuts'. In thefe vcffels the nuts -are 

 kept four or five days ; during which time, they muft 

 be ftirred and turned every morning; otherwiie they 

 Svill be in danger of perifliing from the great fermen- 

 ,tation they art ufually in. In this time 'they change 

 from being white to a dark red or brown colour. 

 Without this fermentation, they fay the nuts will not 

 ^ktep; but will fprout, if they are in a'damp place, 

 >or Ihrivel and dry too much, if tliey are cxpofcd to 



'heat. . '-.' ^ .:■■■■' 



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jure 



otherwife 

 if not totally deftrby them'. 



■ • 



- ■ 



' I: After tTie nuts have been ihus fermented, they Ihould 

 r^be taken out of the veffels and fpread on coarfe cloths, 

 where they may be expofed' to the fun and wind ; buc 

 V at night, or in rainy weather, they muff betaken 

 under ihelter, otherwife the damp' will fpoil them. 

 If ^ the weather proves fair, three days time will be 

 long enough to dry them, provided they are carefully 

 Uirned from time to time, that they may- dry equallv 





In about feven or eight days after the Chocolate-nuts j -on every fide. When they are perfeftly dry, they 



are planted, the young plants will begin to appear 

 above ground ; when they Ihould be carefully looked 

 over, to fee if any of them are attacked by infefts ; 

 in which cafe, if the infefts are not timely deftroyed, 

 they will foon devour all the young plants; or if 

 there fliould be any weeds produced near the plaiits, 

 they fliould be carefully cut down with a hoe ; in 

 doing which, great care fliould be taken that neither 

 the tender flioot, nor the rijid of the bark are injured. 

 About twenty days after the plants have appeared, 

 they will be five or fix inches high, and have four or 

 fix leaves, according to the fl:rength of the plants. 

 Thefe leaves are always produced by pairs, oppofite 

 to each other, as are alfo the branches ; fo that they 

 make very' regular fiandfome heads, if they are not 

 injured by winds. In ten or twelve months they will 

 be two feet and a half high, and have fourteen or 

 fixteen'leaves. By this time the Caffada, which was 

 planted between the rows of Choc6late plants, will 

 have large roots fit for ufe, therefore fliould be taken 

 up ; and the ground being then wrought over again, 

 will greatly encourage the yOling plants. ■' 

 In two years time the plants will have grown to the 

 height of three feet and a half, or fometimes four 

 feet, many of which will begin to flower; but the 

 careful planters always pull off all thefe bloffortis ; 

 for if they are permitted to remain to produce fruit, 

 they will fo much weaken the trees, that they feldom 

 recover their ftrength again, fo as to become vigo- 

 rous. When thefe plants are two years and a half 

 old, they will produce flowers again, fome of which 

 are often left to bear fruit; but the riiofl: , curious 

 planters pull off all thefe, and never leave any to pro- 

 duce fruit until the dilrd year; and then but a few, 

 in proportion to the ftrcngth of the trees ; by which 

 method, their trees always produce larger atid better 

 nouriflied fruit, than thofe which are fuffered to bear 

 a larger quantity, and will continue much longer in 

 vigour. The fourth year they fuffer their trees to bear 



'may be put up in boxes or facks, andprcferved in a 

 dry place until they are fliipped off, or otherwifed"' 



if- 



'pofedof. The freflier thefe nuts are, the more oil 

 is contained in them ; fo diat the older they arc, tlie 

 Icfs they are cftcemed. ■- ' ' '■■ '' '-■ ■ 



Thefe trees do not produce their fruit on the you n;^ 

 branches, or at their extremities, as moft other trees 

 do ; "but from the trunk, and die larger branches, 

 come out the buds for flov/ers and fruit. While the 

 trees are young, they do not produce their fruit in 

 great plenty ; for before the trees are eight years old, 

 they reckon it a good crop to have twenty-eight or 

 thirty pods on each tree at one gathering, 'efpccially 

 that at Midfummer; which is always a much v/orfe 

 crop than the Chriftmas feafon, which is occafioncd 



by the much greater drought of the fpring; for the 

 autumns being the rainy feafgns, the Chocolate-trees 

 produce a much greater quantity of fruit. When 

 the trees are full grown and vigorous, they will fome- 

 times produce two hundred, or two hundred and 

 forty pods at one feafon ; which will make ten or 

 twelve pounds of Chocolate, when dried ; fo tliat ic 

 is]a very profitable commodity, andean be managed 

 with very little charge, when compared with fugar. 

 I have been credibly informed by a perfon of gicat 

 worth 'and integrity, who refided fome years in 

 America, tliat he has feen as much Chocolate gathered 

 from one tree in a year, as hath been worth thirty 

 ftiillings fterling on the fpot: fo that the trouble of 

 gathering and preparing for the market, being much 

 lefs than for many other commodities which are mii- 

 nufaftured in the Eritifli colomes, it is furprifing it 

 fliould be negleded ; cfpecially as it yields fo large a 

 fliare of fuftenance to the wealthier inhabitants' of 

 thofe colonies, that they cannot live comfortably 

 without it, and purchafe it froni the French and 

 Spaniards at a confiderable price ; which in time muft 

 greatly impoverifli the colonies* 



The 



