432 COCOA 



CHAP. 



As in San Thome the labour question is a difficult 

 one. Formerly the natives of the Gold Coast and 

 Lagos came in sufficient numbers to Fernando Po and 

 made a contract for two years. But the Governments 

 of the countries mentioned have checked this exodus, 

 judging it better to have these labourers growing cocoa 

 in their own country. At the present time the 

 Portuguese and Spaniards employ principally people 

 from Liberia and from the island of Bubis. 



The methods of cultivation are about the same as in 

 San Thome. 



The produce is almost entirely exported to the 

 mother-country Spain. 



The amounts exported were as follows : l 



Kilog. 



1902 ... . 1,198,600 



1903 . . . . 1,499,000 



1904 . . . 2,010,800 



1905 . . . "1,862,900 



1906 . . . 1,557,900 



1907 ; . \ . 2,438,900 



Kilog. 



1908 . . . 2,267,200 



1909 . . . 2,669,000 



1910 . . . 2,349,000 



1911 . . . 3,000,000 



1912 . . . 2,300,000 



XVI. SURINAM 



Surinam is one of the old cocoa countries. 



It is said that in 1684 Chevalier de Chatillon 

 brought the first plants from the Orinoco Valley to 

 Surinam, and in the beginning of the eighteenth century 

 the first plantations were started. 



The first exports were made in 1725. Gradually the 

 exports increased and amounted to 180,000 kilograms 

 in the middle of the eighteenth century, and to about 

 230,000 kilograms in 1790. 



The first part of the nineteenth century was an 

 unfortunate time for this colony, and, like other in- 

 dustries, the cocoa industry went backward. In the 

 middle of the century, however, the cocoa culture became 

 more important partly in consequence of a large demand 



1 Gordian, February 18, 1910, and September 19, 1912. 



