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PREFACE. 



Among the agricultural products which have of late years 

 made rapid strides on the domain of industry and manufacture, 

 the cacao, generally called and written cocoa\ the chief ingredient 

 of chocolate, holds a distinguished place. This article is becom- 

 ing more and more general as a popular beverage and whole- 

 some food, and thus notwithstanding the increasing production, 

 the consumption holds the balance sufficiently to prevent any 

 serious decline in price. 



There is surely no agricultural production that requires more 

 care, trouble, patience, perseverance and outlay, than the cacao, 

 but against this it may be stated that, in case of success, no 

 product can be mentioned that yields greater profits, while 

 these will go on increasing prodigiously from year to year. 

 It is a fact, and of this there are abundant proofs, that in 

 Surinam Cacao-plantations exist, each representing by itself 

 an immense fortune, and which descending as an heirloom from 



! ) It is very much to be regretted that this spelling and pronunciation 

 obtains in English to the exclusion of the more correct Cacao (Theobroma 

 cacao), the more so, as it thus becomes hopelessly confounded with the cow? 

 nvcifera, which we also call cocoa-nut. I shall take the liberty of adopting 

 the more correct cacao in this article. (TiiE TRANSLATOR.) 



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