v VARIETIES OF COCOA 79 



a sub-variety. The smooth surface and the lack of 

 prominence of the ridges give it a strong resemblance 

 to the Amelonado, a Forastero sub-variety, but the thin 

 fruit-wall and the rather plump seeds show that it is 

 really a Criollo. This is also proved by the fact that it 

 was found in the Criollo plantations in Java before the 

 introduction of the Forastero. 



Hitherto the Porcelaine variety has received but 

 little attention. In one sense this is not to be 

 wondered at, because from an agricultural or com- 



FIG. 24. Java Criollo, Porcelaine variety. 



mercial point of view it is unimportant ; but it is all 

 the same a very interesting variety. In twenty fruits 

 Zehntner found 68 per cent of round beans. Further, 

 all the seeds were white another Criollo characteristic. 

 The fruit-wall of the Java Porcelaine is very thin and 

 easily cut. 



It is impossible to give any definite reason for the 

 possession of a smooth surface in this Criollo variety. It 

 is probable that it has suddenly appeared as a mutation, 

 as a child of true Criollo parents, among many sisters 

 which were true Criollo like their parents. At any rate 

 it is not necessary to assume, as Zehntner does, that 



