COCOA 193 



away, producing a characteristic lace-like effect. The 

 beetle works by night, and hides itself by day, usually in 

 the soil around the roots of the plant. Dusting the 

 leaves with a mixture of Paris green and lime checked 

 the attack, but as it scorched the leaves, spraying with 

 chromate of lead solution was substituted and with good 

 results. 



Black aphis attack young leaves, but as they in turn 

 are preyed upon by hover and lacewing flies no great 

 damage is done. 



The larvae of two moths, Eulophonotus myrmeleon, 

 Feld., and an ^Egeriid, as yet unidentified, bore into 

 medium-sized branches and destroy them. 



Fruits are commonly attacked by two scale insects, 

 Dactylopius longispinus, Targ. Tozz., and Stictococcus 

 svostedti, Newst. Fortunately, the first is held in check 

 by the larvae of a butterfly, Spalgis lemolea, H. H. Druce, 

 and the second by the larvae of a moth, Eublemma ochro- 

 chroa, Hamps., and the Tortricid, Tortrix callopista, 

 Durrant. 



The fruit fly, Ceratitis nigra, has also been recently 

 observed in cocoa plantations, and probably oviposits in 

 the fruits. 



The only two Lepidopterous larvae of any importance 

 which attack cocoa are the " woolly bear " caterpillar of 

 the Lymantrid moth, Diacrisia maculosa, and a species 

 of basket worm, the caterpillar of the Psychid moth, 

 Metlsa sierricola, White. 



Preparation. 



Although in many districts no attempt is made to 

 ferment the seeds, this process is much more generally 

 adopted than hitherto, but it is not carried out for a 

 sufficiently long period. Amelonado is the variety usually 

 grown, and its seeds require to be fermented for six 

 or seven days, but the native rarely allows this process 

 to extend for more than three days. It is a common 

 practice to collect half-ripened fruits. To extract the 

 seeds, the fruits are beaten on the ground until the shell 

 is sufficiently fractured to permit of its being readily 

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