COCOA-GROWING COUNTRIES 367 



such an extent that Amsterdam got almost all the 

 Venezuela cocoa. From 1706 to 1722, it seems, not 

 a single Spanish ship came to Spain, and that country 

 was obliged to buy from other countries the cocoa of 

 its own colony at high prices. 



In 1728 Philip V. granted the exclusive licence for 

 the cocoa commerce with Venezuela to a company of 

 noblemen of Biscay, and this company was able to get 

 back all the advantages which Spain had previously lost. 

 This state of affairs lasted till 1780, when the licence 

 expired, and the cocoa plantations mostly came into 

 the hands of rich Catalonians. 



Only after the war of 1830, which resulted in the 

 emancipation of the country, did the trade really obtain 

 its independence. 



In that year the export amounted to 3,600,000 

 kilograms, a very important quantity in regard to the 

 world-production of that time. Since then the produc- 

 tion of Venezuela has increased, but not appreciably 

 until recent years : 



COCOA EXPORT OF VENEZUELA 



Kilog. 



1830-1831 . . 3,600,000 



1841-1842. . 4,800,000 



1851-1852. . 5,400,000 



1872-1873. . 3,442,500 



1886-1887. . 6,975,400 



1894 . . . 6,924,000 



1896 . . . 9,562,000 



1900 . . . 11,900,000 



1901 . . . 7,860,000 



1902 . . . 9,925,000 



.12,550,000 



1904 . . . 13,048,800 



1905 . . . 12,700,600 



1906 . . . 12,864,600 



1907 . . .13,471,100 



1908 . . . 16,303,200 



1909 . . .16,847,700 



1910 . . . 17,250,600 



1911 . . . 17,381,000 



1912 . . . 12,500,000 



If Venezuela had not been disturbed by so many 

 revolutions and civil wars, and if it had not suffered 

 so many years under the despotic reign of President 

 Cipriano Castro, doubtlessly the whole economic situa- 

 tion would have been much better than it is now, and 

 the extension of the cocoa culture would have made 

 more progress. 



