TABASCO CACAO. 73 



Guatemala. This last is no doubt the Tabasco cacao of the 

 Atlantic slopes of Central America, which is probably iden- 

 tical with the celebrated Socunusco cacao of the Pacific slopes. 

 The wild trees in the forest grow under the shade of large over- 

 hanging trees in deep soil, and in rather moist situations. That 

 cacao-trees, even under cultivation in the plains, require per- 

 manent shade, is very clearly indicated by the circumstances 

 under which the wild trees are found. The cacao-tree never 

 appears to such advantage, or thrives so luxuriantly, as when 

 it occupies a cool, moist situation, in deep, well-drained soil ; 

 thoroughly sheltered from strong winds, and with moderate 

 shade above. The Socunusco cacao, grown in the province of 

 that name on the Pacific, is supposed to be the best cacao 

 known, and little, if any, of it finds its way into foreign 

 markets. This cacao is supposed to have been reserved, from 

 time immemorial, for the use of the Eoyal Court at Mexico : 

 and the drink or beverage prepared from it was highly appre- 

 ciated by the Mexicans, with whom it was held with religious 

 veneration. As the trees have the same habit and character- 

 istics as those of Caracas cacao, derived from the class of Cacao 

 criollo, the trees in British Honduras will, no doubt, be found 

 to be the yellow-fruited variety of that highly esteemed plant. 

 In Forastero cacao (the class of cacao chiefly under cultivation 

 in Trinidad and Grenada), the yellow varieties are supposed to 

 yield finer and better cacao than the red ; and if these charac- 

 teristics obtain in the Cacao criollo class, then we have in 

 the Tabasco or Socunusco cacao of Central America, which, as 

 shown above, is also a native of British Honduras, the finest 

 quality of cacao which can be grown. 



In the woods the fruits are smaller, probably, than they 

 would be if the trees were under cultivation ; but if any 

 difficulty were experienced in obtainiDg sufficient quantities of 



