Vol. VII. No. 1(J7. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



299 



CACAO IN SAMOA. 



That the cacao produced in the German colony of 

 -Samoa is of e.xcellent quality is proveil by the fact that 

 at the end of 1907 it commanded a price of 110s. per 

 owt. on the London inarket. The -'two varieties of 

 cacao cultivated are the Forastei'o 'and the CrioUo, 

 but the good reputation of the Samoan product is 

 stated to be due to the Criollo. In ' his latest report 

 the British Consvil at Upolu iliscusses at considerable 

 length the question of cacao cultivation in the Saruoan 

 islands, and gives much interesting information in 

 regard to the characteristics of the two varieties grown. 

 The.?e particulars, the Consul mentions, were largely 

 obtained by him from articles written on the subject 

 by Dr. P. Preuss, and which appeared in the Tnqwvp- 

 jianzer. The following extracts arc quoted : — 



Cacao trees in Saiiioii l.)egiii to bear after the fourth 

 year and mature about the .seventh or eighth year, when the 

 yield should be (i cwt. yearly per acre. 



Dr. Preuss has no doubt that the real home of Samoan 

 cacao is Yenezuela. and that the- Venezuelan Criollo has 

 certainly undergone changes in the course of time in Java, 

 Ceylon, and Samoa. The husks are mostly rougher and 

 more bulky at the point, and the beam are smaller and 

 shorter. The colour of the nibs has mostly become white, 

 ■whilst in Venezuela, at least with the red-shelled fruit, it is 

 mostly whitish violet. The principal difference, however, 

 between Samoan and Venezuelan Criollo is in the taste and 

 aroma. In this no cacao in the world can equal the pure 

 Venezuelan Criollo. In Ceylon and .Java these two properties 

 influencing the value of cacao have gone back. Samoan 

 ■cacao has lost some of its aroma, but when really well 

 prepared is, he says, ' the nearest to Venezuelan Criollo in 

 taste.' 



The beans of the Samoan Cri<jllo are of the same shape 

 as those of the same variety in Ceylon and Java, but, 

 according to Dr. Preuss, there appears to be a diflerence in 

 the colour of the nibs in a fresli state, the colour of Siunoan 

 Criollo being ordinarily pure white — not violet-coloured as in 

 Ceylon or Java. 



The colour of properly prepared and dried Samoan 

 cacao beans is glossy brown with a reddish tint. \Vhen 

 whitish brown spots are found, as also in Java, it reduces the 

 value of the product. 



The taste of well prepared Samoan cacao is mild, but at 

 the same time vigorous. The aroma is fine although not 

 verj" strong. Dr. Preuss states that the Trinidad Forastero 

 vaiiety was introduced into Samoa from Ceylon. As regards 

 the two varieties (Criollo and Forastero) one is easily distin- 

 guished from the other by the difference in the hardness nf 

 the shell. Criollo can be cut through smoothly and easily. 

 Forastero, except where it is a cross with the former, has 

 a very hard shell which it is very difficult to cut with a knife. 

 The former, too, will be identified by the white colour of its 

 nibs. 



Samoan Forastero is undoubtedly superior to Trinidad 

 Forastero because its beans are fuller, its Ijreak looser and 

 its taste milder. It will become still more superior when 

 Samoan planters have come up to the Tiinidad planters in the 

 culture of the tree and the preparation of the product. At 

 times Forastero fetches very good prices, and mixed with 

 Criollo it occasionally fetches as much as pure Criolln. 



Although the difference in price between the two kinds 

 is not very great so far, one must consider that uj) to 

 the present, fancy prices have been pai^ for Samoan cacao 



since the (piantities offered have been very small. As soon as 

 large quantities are put on, tie market it is certain that the 

 buyers will make a sharper f distinction between the two 

 qualities, and that Criollo wifl then be valued considerably 

 higher than formerly. When the market is unsteady Crinlln 

 will not suffer as much as Forastero. 



The Criollo variety can only be succe.ssfully cultivated 

 in very fertile soil — virgin forest soil is to be preferred. 

 Forastero will flourish and yield good crops on less fertile 

 .soils. On other grounds, Foi-astero is favoured by its greater 

 vitality, .strongei- growth, greater pniductiveness, less demand 

 for shade, easier cultivation (and some say its greater resistance 

 to disease, though this is disputed). The only thing in 

 favour of Criolhi is the excellence and superiority of its 

 fruit. 



A planting distance for Criollo of 13 feet by 13 feet, 

 or at the farthest of 13 by 14^- feet, is proper. That gives 

 2.^0 or 220 trees to the acre. . Forastero should be planted 

 I6i by 16i- feet. On very good soil two trees may be 

 planted in one hole ; it increases the yield considerably. 

 This holds good for both Criollo and Forastero. 



All the planters- in Samoa appear .so far to be tc.ilerably 

 well satisfied with cacao returns, but like everything else 

 the crop requires careful attention in order to give the best 

 retiu-ns. Large plantations, if well managed, and not 

 crippled by want of labour, ought certainly to do well 

 and return good dividends. The same thing applies to 

 those small plantations from 20 acres upwards where 

 the owner lives and personally directs them, but when 

 the estate is too small to afford the paymoit of a jiroper 

 manager, and the owner himself, having more important 

 things to attend to elsewhere, cannot live on the 'and, failure 

 is sure to follow. Cacao cultivation requires perhaps more 

 personal attention by the planter or manager than any other 

 tropical product, not merely to bring the trees to maturity, 

 but to look after them and crop them wlien they can bear 

 fruit. 



EXPORTS FROM BRITISH GUIANA. 



The trade returns of British (Juiana for the period 

 froir. January 1 to September 2 of the present year 

 contain several items worthy of note. 



There has been a small falling off in the shiinnents of 

 sugar and sugar products as ccjmparcd with the correspond- 

 ing period of last year. The sugar shijipeil in the fir.st eight 

 months of 1907 reached 46,555 ton.s, while for the .same period 

 of 1908 the quantity ex[iorted was 45,953i tons. Rum 

 exports fell from l,03f),S44 gallons in the first eight months 

 of 1907 to 958,133 gallons in 1908. 



On the other hand there have been .some noteworthy 

 advances. For instance, from the beginning of 1908 up to 

 September 2, 1,750 tons of rice meal have been exported as 

 compared with 1 44 tons for the same perifxl of 1907. Citrate 

 of lime shipments have increased from 380 Iti. to 1,235 lb., 

 and the exports of cacao from 57,845 lb. to 90,026 lb. 



The figures relating to the exports of shingles from the 

 colony are very satisfactory, no less than 2,258,950 having 

 been shipped up to September 2 of the [)resent year, as 

 against 1,115,900 in the same period of 1907. Rice, rubber 

 and cattle, too, all show increases this year in the quantities 

 exported up to date. liice shipments have advanced from 

 4,370,134 It), in the first eight months of 1907 to .5,858,434 lb. 

 in the same period of 1908. The rubber shipped has increased 

 from 3,032 B). to 4,531 It)., while the exports of cattle have 

 been 833 head for the eight months of 1907, and 1,051 head 

 up to date in the present year. 



