Vol. XIII, Xo. 325. 



THE AGEICULTURAL NEWS. 



3i'3 



THE QUALITIES IN CACAO DESIRED BY 

 MANUFACTURERS. *■ 



It is liy ii'i means easy to make a definite statement 

 which is generally applic-al.le, because the various manufac- 

 turers look for ditferent cjualitieN. and cacaos from certain 

 districts are prized for special purposes. There is, further, 

 some danger in describing a desirable appearance, for it is 

 not the appearance that is wanted, liut the qualities tliat are 

 associated with it. 



In general, we believe that if the planter only allows 

 ripe pods to be gathered, ferments for a reasonalile [period, 

 cures with care, and keeps the material dry, the l)eans will 

 have the right appearance, and that he will be jaroducing 

 the best that the types of tree on his plantation will produce 

 It is evident from this statement that the value of claying 

 and dancing is called in ijue.stion. 



We understand that iiiifermented cacao finds imrchasers, 

 but fermented cacao always obtains the higher price: unfer- 

 nienteil beans are more difficult to shell, and thej- produce an 

 inferior cocoa. Partially fermented Ijeans suffer from the 

 same defects. With over-fermented beans the shell may 

 become so loose as to be fractured in carriage and handling. 

 This opens the way for attack by grubs and moulds. This 

 danger may also be incurred: (1) with over-ripe beans, in 

 which the germ penetrates the .shell: (2) by washing, which 

 leaves the shell tender: and (3) by lack of care in curing. 



Cacao may be spoilt by not ob.serving conditions of 

 cleanliness during fermentation, or l>y expo-irig to bad odours. 

 On curing, these defects may be hidden, only to be revealed 

 again on roasting, when the objectirmalile 'hammy' or other 

 flavour is developed. 



Other objectionalile features are the presence of twig- 

 like pieces of dried pulp and placenta, and of small Hat beans. 



Criollo cacao obtains a higher price than Forastero or 

 C'alabacillo, because, while it is the rarest, it is a valuable 

 ingredient of good chocolate. Large beans are preferred 

 i-ecause they have a lower percentage of .shell than small 

 lieans. 



I'robaVily the most highly appreciated quality is con- 

 stancy or reliability of quality. .\ cacao which varies from 

 ■ag to liag, or from time to time, will get little appreciation. 

 I'nder ideal conditions standard qualities would be put on 

 the market — Criollo, Forastero, Calabacillo would be 

 fermented separately, and the beans graded according to size. 

 Such a procedure would only be [iracticable where the cacao 

 from several plantations was taken to a central fermentary. 

 At the present time we are far from this. Indeed, instead 

 of a careful grading of good qualities, there is in practice 

 a mixing of good and bad. Thus cacao merchants buy 

 cacao which they know to be di.seased or unfermented 

 and deliberately mix it with good cacao. Such an action 

 may not seriously affect the price of that particular 

 lot, but it affects detrimentally the reputation of the cacao 

 from that district, and the manufacturer regards that cacao 

 as less desirable. 



It is to be regretted that in some places oacao is still 

 taken to the steamer in surf-boats. Well-prepared cacao thus 

 T)ecomes wet with sea-water, and may later be spoilt by 

 nifiulil. 



MOCHA COFFEE CULTURE. 



The Monthly Bulletin of Agricultural Intelli- 

 yt'iue and Plant Diseases for July 1914 contains the 



*Alistract of a paper read by H.P. Booth and A. W. Knapp, 

 'if Messrs. Cadbury Bix>s., Ltd., at tlie Third International Con- 

 gress of TropicU Agricidture, London, 1914, appearing in the 

 Jonnutl of the Royal Society of Arts for August 7, 1914. 



foil,, wing note on the cultivation of Mocha cofiee:— 



Mocha coffee derives its name from the small ruinect 

 town on the South Arabian coast of the Eed Sea from which 

 it used to be exported. It is an absolutely unique product 

 with a rtavour and aroma quite distinct from the Abyssinian 

 variety: th<jugh many writers consider them indentical. 



The trees belong to three main types: (1) pvramidal 

 with the biggest branches at the liase; (2) umbrelfa-shaped 

 with the lower part of the trunk bare: (3) bu.sh shaped. 



In the low regions where rain is abundant, the fruit is . 

 larger but of inferior ipiality; in the hot dry uplands, growth 

 is slower and the grain is smaller and rounder, but of the 

 finest quality. 



The animal production of :\Iocha coffee is about 100,00a 

 bags of 160 B). each, and the principal importing countries- 

 are the United States, which takes 30 per cent. : France 

 which takes 20 per cent.: and Egypt which takes 1?< per cent.r. 

 others being the Red Sea ports (7 per cent.), and German}^ 

 {') per cent,), England (.5 per cent.), Spain (3 per cent.), and 

 Au.stria (3 per cent.). About half the amount is exported 

 from Aden, and half from Hodeidah. 



THE CUBAN WALNUT. 



This intere.sting .species, known botanically as Jui/lans~ 

 insularis, Griseb., is a tree which is found commonly alono- 

 the water courses in the Highlands of western Cuba. In the 

 Moderyi Cuhan Matjazine for August 1914, Senor 3. T. Roio- 

 jmblishes the specific characters of the plant, and points out 

 that it is distinguishable from a closely related Walnut that 

 grows in Trinidad. The trees sometimes attain a height 

 of 100 feet or over and are found in some abundance^ 

 only on mountains of certain altitudes. The trees are veiy 

 little known in Cuba outside the regions where they grow,, 

 and in view of the fact that these native nuts are reported 

 to be as good and of nearly the same size as those obtained 

 for consumption from North America, it seems desirable to 

 publish information on the subject. Moreover, the timbo- of 

 this tree is fine-grained and should be in demand for cabinet 

 work. The horticultural value of the tree promises to be 

 important owing to the suitability of the plant as a stock 

 on which to graft imported varieties of walnuts and pecans. 

 The nut in its wild state compares favourably with the 

 imported black walnut: the kernel is much more mild in 

 flavour than that of the American species, and an important 

 botanical feature is the great variation exhibited as regards 

 size and shape of the nut and thickness of the shell, thereby 

 throwing out possibilities for improvement by selection. It 

 is believed that Jwjlans insularis should prove useful as 

 a shade tree for coffee and cacao. 



Attached to the article are two plates illustrating the 

 botanical features of the plant: these include the nuts, hulls, . 

 leaves, liark and stem, as well as reproductions of the diff- 

 erent types of nut in cross-section. 



Botanically it is interesting to nr>te that Cuban opinion 

 favours the idea that Juglan% cineria, Lin., which is a North 

 American species, does not e.xist in Cuba, and it is asserted 

 that Jiiglans cineria, described by Richard some years ago in 

 Cuba, is synonymous with Griesbach's J. insularis. 



It will be seen that there are several points of interest 

 attaching to this plant, and it might he desirable to estab- 

 lish specimens in the Botanic Gardens of the West Indian 

 islands. Further information can be obtained from Signor 

 J.T. Roig, Botanist, of the Cuban Agricultural Experiment 

 Station 



