268 Mr. James Epps, Jun., on 
tree in bearing—say, from twenty-five to fifty cents per tree, 
the contractor having had the use of the land for the time for 
growing between the young cocoa plants many other crops. 
The yield of a mature cocoa tree varies considerably. A good 
cocoa tree in a good soil yields from fifty to several hundred pods 
per year. The average well-cultivated trees at seven years old 
should bear about eighty to a hundred, and it takes about eleven 
pods to yield one pound of cured cocoa, so that one tree may be 
looked upon as yielding about eight pounds of cured cocoa in 
one year. A young tree is not allowed to bear until it is three 
years old. 
The diseases of the cacao tree are fortunately not numerous. 
Perhaps the most common disease is one known as canker; this 
is chiefly caused by the plants being planted in poor and un- 
drained ground. There is also a disease that attacks the pods 
in extremely dry weather, caused by a fungus; this is known 
under the name of black rot, on account of the pods turning 
black when attacked. Pods wili also turn black and drop in 
extremely wet weather. 
The greatest enemies that the Trinidad planters have to con- 
tend with are the parasol or umbrella ant ((2codonia Cephalotes), 
and also the cacao beetle (Steirastoma histrionica) ; another species 
is the Steirastroma depressa. 
Mr. Hart, in his work on Cacao, says:—‘‘ The most troublesome 
vegetable parasite is a species of Loranthus, a plant resembling our 
mistletoe, which, being a true parasite, does considerable harm to 
the cacao trees ; it is always cut away from the tree on being seen. 
Several orchids are also found growing on the branches of the 
cacao trees; also two species of Cuscuta or Dodder, but these are 
chiefly epiphytical growths, and do little or no harm. The 
squirrel is also a great enemy of the cacao planter ; not that he 
damages the trees, but causes sad havoc amongst the ripe pods; 
he, unfortunately, is not satisfied with taking one pod and 
finishing it, but will attack and spoil hundreds. He prefers the 
Criollo variety, owing to the greater sweetness of the pulp, in 
preference to the Forastero variety.” 
Cocoa, as we have already noticed, came into use in England 
about the year 1662. I have here a very valuable book, to which 
I have already drawn attention—Dr. Stubbes, ‘The Indian 
Nectar, or a Discourse concerning Chocolata.’ This is a dupli- 
cate copy sold by the British Museum in 1831. It is published 
by J. C. for Andrew Cook, at the sign of the Great Dragon, in 
St. Paul’s Churchyard, in 1662, and with your permission I will 
read a few extracts from it, in order that you may see how 
chocolate was first introduced into London, and what in those 
days it consisted of. 
Dr. Stubbes, in the preface of his work, writing to his learned 
