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value of their plantations, and they make an effort to get rid of it, 

 hut it is difficult on account of the delicacy and the feeble growth of 

 the CrioUo. When, for example, a tree dies in a plantation, whether 

 from old age or from some malady, it is extremely difficult, if not im- 

 possible, in a plantation of pure CrioUo, and absolutely impossible in a 

 plantation of pure Carupano. to raise a young tree of CrioUo in place 

 of that which has perished. The young tree is stifled by the large trees 

 that surround it. On the contrary, a young Carupano will develop 

 well, thanks to its greater vital force. So that if planters do not 

 wish to have empty spaces in their plantations, they are obliged to fiU 

 them with Trinitario the value of which is less. In this way they are 

 continually depreciating the old plantations (Chuao). This is the 

 reason for the lowering of the quality of Caracas cocoa of which there 

 is frequent complaint. 



New plantations of CrioUo call for much more careful shading, more 

 thorough maintenance, and a more abundant irrigation than those of 

 Trinitario. It is calculated that it takes 3 years longer to get a full 

 crop of CrioUo than of Trinitario. On the other hand, the product 

 obtained in the first case is much more precious, and fetches as much 

 as double the price of the other, the preparation of which latter, be- 

 sides, is longer and more difficult ; add to this, that the Trinitario re- 

 quires more space than the feebly developed CrioUo, and therefore less 

 trees are planted to the acre of Trinitario than of CrioUo. All these 

 considerations ought to be weighed when enquiries are made as to 

 what variety should be planted by preference. 



Trinitario or Carupano is distinguished from CrioUo by a more pro- 

 nounced development, its trunk is shorter, its foliage is thicker, its 

 leaves are larger and it yields more and sooner. 



A certain number of varieties are distinguished of which the names 

 have been given before, according to the size, the form and the colour 

 of the fruits, according to the form and taste of the beans, as well as 

 according to the tint of the inside of the beans. At the head of all 

 the varieties is the Angoleta, of which the fruits are regular, generally 

 deeply furrowed and very rough, terminating in a somewhat long 

 point. The shell of the fruit is thick. The beans are large and plump. 

 This variety is considered very good. In the second place comes the 

 Cundeamor, of which the fruits are red or yellow with deep and long 

 furrows, very rough, terminating in a long point, often curved and 

 narrowed at the base. The tint of the fresh bean is, in the two varie- 

 ties, bright violet but still much darker than in CrioUo. The beans 

 of the Cundeamor are as large and plump, scarcely bitter, and fermen- 

 tation takes place relatively quickly. The denomination Cundeamor 

 comes from the name given a wild fruit called " Cerasee" in Jamaica 

 (Momordica) of which the form offers some resemblance to this variety 

 of cocoa. 



Then come in order of quality the numerous varieties called simply 

 " Carupano," of which some have their shells and relatively large 

 grains (carupano grande mejor), and the others with thick sheU and 

 flatter beans. Their form approaches rather that of an egg, but they 

 have however a visible point. The colour of the bean is bright violet. 

 The Sambito of which the fruits are very large, massive, rather smooth 



