THEOBROMA 



eiosa, T. angustifolin and T. bicntor. Theohroma syl- 

 vestris, Aubl. [T. Martiana, Dietr. ) is sometimes re- 

 ferred to as a native, but does not appear to liave been 

 recorded by modern writers for Central America and 

 the West Indies. 



Theohroma pentagona is a species whicli in vi^or of 

 growtli and productive capacity resembles to a very 

 large degree the generally cnltivated varieties of T. 

 Cncno, but it differs in the flowers, in the size of the 

 beans, and espeeially in the shape of the pods. The 

 beans are larger in size than those of T. Cacan. fully 

 equal if not superior in flavor, and are capable of being 

 worked up in the same way as the commoner 

 This kind is known on the mainland as "Alii- 

 gat Ca a f o tl f n 1 re e ul Ian 

 ot k a o the h i t a all ^at Tl ^ y 



out le f tl p 1 ott a i a 1 I- '' '' ' '- 



an 1 1 at aff 1 1 go 1 i t 



th 1 ha ler sh 11 { 



\ r In N a ag a r ( 



I t wn t h nl 



THEOBROMA 



1793 



"Calabacillo" is the third form, its chief characteris- 

 tics being the vigor of its growth and its small flat and 

 strongly flavored bean. By some it is considered as a 

 degraded form of Forastero. 



While the above gives a brief sketch of the chief 

 characters of the principal types, it must be understood 

 that there are varieties intermediate between the forms; 



b k 



t T 



th 



where th s spec e not grown 



w th T p taqo and the bean I 



pec es are al no t mpo V 1 1 



wh n c ed together Th i 1 

 g u plantat ons al o r q II 



for fer nentat on than th p I 1 



Tr n dad or \ en z la t II 1 g 



the usual per od wl I It u ha nu 



1 er of hou will I 1 p ope fermenta 



t on of the prod t 1 I ned countr e 



Tl ob na Sj ] I hat prod es th 



Monkey Cacao t I I 1 Th neve male 



into market Cacao, as it is very inferior in quality and 

 has a disagreeable flavor. The pods are hard, much cor- 

 rugated, warted, and of a dirty brown color when ripe. 



TJieobroina bicolor is a very distinct species in every 

 way. The leaves are large, aii.i in tin- luvi-iiile stages 

 of growth are broadly cordaf.- in t'.rni. ami .iTily assume 

 the mature or oblong form on narliiim tlit- third or 

 fourtli vear's growth. Tin- |i"iU ar.- ..val. ribbed and 

 nettial, li.anl aiul u'ooilv, with all out.T -lirll half an inch 



ill tlii.-knr,. wliiHi ran ..,i|y ,11 with a saw. The 



sia.N an- oval, iiiu.-h tlattcii.-il. with a Mark, hard and 



The 



the 



he made into com- 

 iiifaetiire of choco- 

 lates. This species, though without douht a true Theo- 

 broma, is very widely distinct from any <d the varieties 

 of T. Cacao which produce commercial Cacao. The 

 produce of T. bicolor is known in some parts of Central 

 America by the names of "Wariba," "Tiger," and "Pas- 

 taste '■ Cacao. 



Many names have arisen lor -l,. van, ties of Tlieo- 

 bromn Cacao which are in ■■ ; , ,, h any as forty 



having been listed by a 1:' ' ator of large 



experience. Looking at ilr i i a practical 



all these are i - i i . ..f the one 



int of 



species, produced by natural i ii aiion of the 



older types. According to ii ,i < , i .. ■ Trinidad, 



1900, there are but three in 1 1 1 : Lasses of T. 



Cncao, respectively, "Criollo. i ., ,;, i .and "Calaba- 

 cillo." The type of the tir^t i- t'ouial indigenous in 

 Trinidad and various place-< on the mainhuid, its dis- 

 tinctive character being its hotth-ne.'ke.l pod, with a 

 thin skin and finely ribbed exterior, toLrether with its 

 white or whitish seeds or beans, which are mild in 

 flavor and somewhat rounded in form. 



The characters of "Forastero" are its roughly corru- 

 gated or verrucose pod, containing large fl.attish seeds, 

 of a purplish color. It is a tree having greater vitality 

 than "CrioUo," and gives a much larger crop. "Foras- 

 tero" means foreign, and this type is said to have been 

 found on the mainland of South America, whence it was 

 imported to Trinidad by Arragonese Capuchin Fathers 

 about 1757. (De V'erteuil, History of Trinidad. 1884.) 



ft. tall 



in fact, on the majority of estates it is impossible to 

 find any two trees exactly alike in all their botanical 



chaia.ters, urring, without doubt, from the unin- 



terruiite,! <rov~-t.rtilization which has taken place. 

 Still, eaih iiitry appears to maintain certain charac- 

 ters more permanent than others, and thus secures for 

 itself a name upon the markets of the world. It is 

 probable that this is due, in a measure, to the uncon- 

 cious preference taken by some to distinctive features 

 of the produce by the continuous cultivation of a fairly 

 fixed strain which has arisen. It may also be due in 

 some measure to the influence of climate and environ- 

 ment. Certain it is, however, that there are to-day 

 strains of Cacao which are possessed of distinctive 

 characters, not readily produced by any process of pre- 

 paration in places other than that in which they are 

 grown. A fine set of illustrations of varieties common 

 to different countries has lately been published in a work 

 by Dr. Paul Preuss, who recently travt-led in f 'acao-pro- 

 ducing countries on behalf of tie (.,iei,in l'o\ et nineiit. 



These difi'erent brands are hoi. ' i ' i,i. Hirers 



and blended to suit their parile mm iui there 



are certain kinds possessing sj", lai ihn.,! whieh are 

 readily sold at high value. The value oi ihe eonuner.-ial 

 product fluctuates and the price rules considerably 

 lower than some years ago. Whether this results from 

 increased production or from a deterioration in the 

 quality cannot be ascertained. It is clear that if culti- 

 vators grow Cacao for seed without regard to the best 

 rules of selection, the quality must deteriorate. What 

 mitigates this fact is that all the Cacao world has, up 

 to a recent date, followed the same practice. The pro- 

 cess of grafting, to which the Cacao tree readily sub- 

 mits, as was recently proved in Trinidad, will enable 

 operators to make large fields of the choicer varieties, 

 and it may be confidently expected that in a few years 

 a great improvement will be shown in the various 

 grades placed upoo the market. But little Cacao is 

 manufactured in the countries where it is grown, except 

 for home use, and then generally in a crude manner. 



Chocolate is the term used for sweetened and hardened 

 preparations of the roasted and ground Cacao bean, with 



