CACAO. 265 



Remunerative prices being paid by them for the heaviest sort, the 

 production of a bad article was thereby encouraged, the Trinidad 

 cacao gradually lost its reputation, and the producers were 

 ruined. 



Some planters are now trying to raise it in the estimation of 

 French traders. May God help them! The quality of the 

 Trinidad cacao may certainly be greatly improved by proper care 

 and attention being paid both to the choice of plant-seeds, and 

 also to its proper curing ; but, with all possible improvements, it 

 seems a mistaken idea to expect that, in the present state of affairs, 

 " Trinidad might supply cacao equal to anything produced in the 

 best markets of the Magdalena, Soconusco, and of other places on 

 the Spanish Main," as assumed by Dr. Lindleyin his lecture "On 

 substances used as food, illustrated by the Great Exhibition." 



" Cocoa, or cacao as we should call it," says the learned lec- 

 turer, " is an article of very large consumption. Enormous quan- 

 tities of it are now used in the navy, and every one knows how much 

 of it is employed daily in private life. It is, moreover, the basis of 

 chocolate. But we have evidence that we never get good cocoa in 

 this country. The consequence is that all the best chocolate is 

 made in Spain, in France, and in countries where the fine de- 

 scription of cocoa goes. We get a cocoa which is unripe, flinty, and 

 bitter, having undergone changes that cause it to bear a very low 

 price in the market. But it comes from British possessions, and 

 is therefore sold here subject to a duty of only 18s. 8d. per cwt., 

 whereas if it came from a foreign country, it would pay 56s. The 

 differential duty drives the best cocoa out of the English market. 

 Still it appears that we might supply from our own colonies this 

 very cocoa, because, as I have said, there was exhibited from 

 Trinidad a very beautiful sample, quite equal to anything pro- 

 duced in the best markets of the Magdalena, of Soconusco, or of 

 other places on the Spanish Main. It had no bitterness, no 

 flintiness, no damaged grains in it, but all were plump and ripe, 

 as if they had been picked." ..." And it is their own fault if 

 our colonies do not produce fine cocoa, as Trinidad has conclusively 

 proved." 



In answer to the opinions expressed in this extract, I might 

 refer the reader to what I have already stated on the subject : 

 some of them, however, demand peculiar notice. 



On the mere examination of some picked sample of cacao 



