SS COCOA : ALL AF.OUT IT. 



The Duke of Marlbt^rou^'h introcUiccd the plant into this 

 c«>untry in iSoo, and i)resently it made its way to the Continent, 

 where it is grown and made to bear abundance of fruit. 



At Liege it is grown on a small scale, and a plant cultivated 

 at Paris in 1840 attained the height of three yards, and yielded 

 117 pods, which ripened in twelve months. Fine examples may 

 be seen in the tropical and economic houses at Kew. Mr. Ewing 

 and Mr. E. Bennett grew the Vanilla with considerable success at 

 Osberton ; the latter gathered no less than 300 ripe pods off a 

 single plant in one season. He considers a temperature of from 

 50 to 70 degrees to be most suitable for it. He found it necessary 

 to effect fertilization by artificial means, the stigma being prevented 

 from receiving the pollen of its own flower by the interposition of 

 an organ called the retinaculuvi. 



This process, which in these climates is obliged to be 

 performed artificially, is done naturally by insects in countries 

 where the plants were originally found in their wild state. 



The fruit of the plant is a long bean or pod, growing from 

 four to twelve inches in length, and containing an immense 

 number of small black granules, surrounded by a thick balsamous 

 substance, which contains a peculiar volatile oil, and a considerable 

 quantity of benzoic acid. 



These give the delicious flavour and aroma, which prove so 

 powerful and penetrating that a few ounces will flavour one 

 hundred-weight of Chocolate. 



