244 TRINIDAD. 



ovate and cordate ; colour, red ; beans, as foregoing, but some- 

 what irregular and elliptical in cross section. 



3rd. (Cayenne). Very long and pointed pods; very rugose; 

 ten grooved ; beans, roundish ; pods' tissue ligneous. 



4th. (Verdecico, or smooth pale green). Pods, five grooved, 

 thick pod substance ; colour, glaucous unripe : yellow ripe ; 

 beans, small rounded. 



5th. [Reticulate, or Yellotv Criollo). Pods, obovate, five 

 grooved, reticulated ; beans, angular, flattish ; colour, pale green : 

 yellow, ripe. 



6th. (Calabacillo). Pods, rounded, five grooved, shell ligneous; 

 beans, very angular and flat ; yellow when ripe. 



In the race No. 1 is included the beautiful bright red cacao, 

 I take to be true Cundinamarca variety. Touched with No. 2, it 

 has a shorter pod with a fine bean. It is this variety which 

 gives the high characters to San Antonio ; touched with No. 5, 

 it gives the feature in the Torrecilla cacao. 



No. 2 includes the big fleshy podded " Sangre Toro " (Bull 

 Blood). 



I may well remark that Calabacillo is discarded by all careful 

 planters. Verdeeico I hold as identic with Truxillano ; this latter 

 is cultivated in preference along the Gulf, more particularly at 

 Yrapa and Yaguaraparro ; also Cundiamor. It would appear that 

 the five-grooved pods are more common in the best races, a 

 character easily recognisable. 



The quantity of land under cultivation for the cacao is about 

 22,000 acres; in 1856 it was only 7,000 acres. Cacao thrives 

 in rich deep light soil, such as valleys and the banks of rivers. 

 Heat and also shade are necessary for its healthy growth. The 

 mean yearly temperature should be 27*50 centig., and trees must 

 be planted at intervals in the cacao walks, to afford protection 

 against the sun and strong breezes. Again, cacao plantations 

 prosper mainly in virgin lands, and should not be made to succeed 

 any other cultivation, if possible. 



After the land has been cleared, it is picketted off at a 

 distance of twelve or fifteen feet ; the beans are then planted by 

 the pickets at twelve inches apart, and covered with plantain or 

 balisier leaves, which are removed so soon as the seed has germi- 

 nated. If the two plants succeed, one is removed altogether, or 

 for supplying a failure elsewhere — this being done at a growth of 



