THE 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



THE 



665 



trees to form a shelter. They also contrive, if possible, to 

 have the plantation near a river, for the conveniency of water- 

 ing the plants during the first season, until they have made 

 strong roots, and are capable of drawing their nourishment 

 from some depth in the earth, where they meet with moisture. 

 In order to shelter the plants from the scorching rays of the 

 sun, they generally plant two rows of Cassava between each 

 row of Chocolate-trees, which will grow about seven or eight 

 feet high, and screen the young plants from the violence of 

 the sun in the first season, after which time they will be in 

 less danger of injury therefrom ; and in the following season, 

 when the Cassava is taken up for use, the ground should be 

 worked between the young plants, taking care not to injure 

 the roots in this operation. This method of planting the 

 Cassava between the young Chocolate-trees, is of great 

 advantage to the planter ; for when the roots of the Cassava 

 are taken up for use, it will defray the expense of keeping the 

 ground free from weeds, without which the young plants will 

 come to nothing. The Plantains also, which will be fit to 

 cwt in about twelve months after planting, will defray the 

 whole expense of preparing the ground, so that the produce 

 of the Chocolate-trees will be neat profit ; for as the Plantains 

 produce fruit and decay, they will be succeeded by suckers, 

 which will produce fruit in eight months after; whereby 

 there will be a continual supply of food for the negroes, which 

 will more than pay for keeping the ground wrought and clear 

 from weeds, until the Chocolate-trees begin to produce fruit, 

 which is generally in the third year after planting. In about 

 seven or eight days after the Chocolate-nuts are planted, the 

 young plants will begin to appear above ground, and should 

 be carefully examined to see if any of them be attacked by 

 insects, in which case, if the insects are not timely destroyed, 

 they will soon devour ail the young plants ; or, if there should 

 be any weeds produced near the plants, they should be care- 

 fully cut down with a hoe; in doing which, great care should 

 be taken that neither the tender shoot, nor the rind of the 

 bark, be injured. About twenty days after the plants have 

 appeared, they will be five or six inches high, and have four 

 or six leaves, according to the strength of the plants. These 

 leaves are always produced by pairs, opposite to each other, 

 as are also the branches, so that they make very regular 

 handsome heads, if they are not injured by winds. In ten or 

 twelve months they will be two feet and a half high, and 

 hare fourteen or sixteen leaves. By this time the Cassava, 

 which was planted between the rows of Chocolate plants, will 

 have large roots fit for use, therefore should be taken tip, 

 and the ground being then wrought over again, will greatly 

 encourage the young plants. In two years they will have 

 grown to the height of three feet and a half, or sometimes 

 four feet, many of which will begin to flower ; but the cartful 

 planters always pull off these blossoms, for if they be per- 

 mitted to remain to produce fruit, they will so much weaken 

 the trees that they will never recover. When the plants arc 

 two years and a half old, they will produce flowers again, 

 some of which are often left to bear fruit: but the most 

 curious planters pluck off all these, and never leave any to 

 produce fruit until the third year ; and then but a few in 

 proportion to the strength of the trees, which causes them to 

 produce larger and better fruit. The fourth year they suffer 

 their trees to bear a moderate crop, but they generally pull 

 off some flowers from those trees which are weak, that they 

 may recover strength before they are too old. From the 

 time when the flowers fall off, to the maturity of the fruit, is 

 about four months. It is easy to know when the fruit is ripe 

 by the colour of the pods, which become yellow on the side 

 neit the sun. In gathering the fruit, they generally place a 



negro to each row of trees ; who being furnished with a 

 basket, goes from tree to tree, and cuts off all those which 

 are ripe. When the basket is full, he carries the fruit and 

 lays it in a heap at one end of the plantation, where, after 

 the whole is gathered, they cut the pods lengthways, and 

 take out all the nuts, being careful to divest them of the 

 pulp, which closely adheres to them, and then they carry them 

 to the house, where they lay them in large casks, or other 

 vessels of wood raised above ground, and cover them with 

 leaves of the Indian Reed and mats, upon which they lay 

 some boards, putting on them stones to press the whole down 

 close. In these vessels the nuts are kept four or five days ; 

 during which time they must be stirred and turned every 

 morning, to prevent too much fermentation. In this short 

 time they change from being white to a dark red or browa 

 colour; and it is said, that without a proper degree of fer- 

 mentation they will not keep, but will sprout in damp places, 

 and shrivel and dry too much if exposed to heat. After the 

 nuts have been thus fermented, they should be taken out of 

 the vessels, and spread on coarse cloths, where they may 

 be exposed to the sun and wind ; but at night, or in rainy 

 weather, they must be taken under shelter. In fine weather, 

 if carefully turned from side to side, they will dry in three 

 days' time, and, when perfectly dry, may be put up in boxes 

 or sacks, and preserved in a dry place until they are shipped 

 off or consumed. These trees, if planted in a good soil, will 

 continue vigorous and fruitful twenty-five or thirty years. 

 The leaves being large, make a great litter on the ground 

 when they fall. They are more profitable than the Sugar 

 Cane, and the crop is not so uncertain ; but besides the 

 ordinary care of digging, hoeing, and manuring the planta- 

 tions of Chocolate-trees, it is necessary to prune off the 

 decayed branches, and to remove small and ill-placed 

 branches wherever they may be produced. This should be 

 cautiously performed, for no vigorous branches ought to be 

 shortened, nor any large amputation made on these trees ; 

 because they abound with a soft glutinous milky juice, which 

 will flow out many days whenever they are wounded, and 

 must greatly weaken the trees. Such branches, however, as 

 have their extreme parts decayed, should be cut off, to pre- 

 vent the infection from spreading further; and those which 

 are much decayed, should be taken off close to the stem of 

 the tree in dry weather, soon after the fruit is gathered. 

 Cultivation in Europe. Plant the nuts in boxes of earth soon 

 after they become ripe. Place the boxes in a shady situation, 

 and water them frequently. In a fortnight the plants will 

 begin to appear, and should be carefully watered in dry wea- 

 ther, and protected from the violent heat of the sun, which is 

 very injurious to these plants, especially while they are youn^. 

 Keep them perfectly free from weeds. When they are grown 

 strong enough to transport, they may be shipped, and should 

 be placed where they may be screened from strong wind?, 

 salt water, and the violent heat of the sun. Daring their 

 passage they must be frequently refreshed with water in small 

 quantities; and should be protected as much as possible 

 from the cold, when they arrive in the northern latitudes. 

 As soon as they are landed in this country, take them care- 

 fully out of their boxes, and transplant each of them into a 

 separate pot filled with light rich earth, and plunged into a 

 moderate hot-bed of tanner's bark, being careful to cover tlu: 

 glasses in the heat of the day, and to screen the plants from 

 the sun. Water them often, but sparingly. Let them remain 

 till Michaelmas in the hot-bed, then plunge them into the tan 

 in the warmest part of the bark-stove. During winter water 

 them frequently in small quantities, but more plentifully in 

 summer. They are too tender to endure the open air here 



