Notes on the Society's Work in 1897-1918. 



lvii. 



" ground, 9 ft. 5 in. in circumference. One single stem which we 

 " carefully measured had a circumference of 3 ft. 4 in. Few pods grow 

 " on these trees, but what there is of them, are large, of the 

 " yellow variety, containing an average of 40 beans." 



Now many of these past giant-cacaos have fallen but along each 

 fallen trunk ne w trees, some of them 30 to 40 inches in circumference, 

 have sprung. The cacao appears to be all of one type and to be quite 

 true to that type. It is the strain or type formerly known as Golden 

 Caracas, probably the best cacao in the world. The pods are green in 

 earlier stages passing through light-yellow, and yellow to a full glistening 

 golden yellow when mature. The husks are thin and the beans full, 

 round and of excellent quality. There is not a speck of colour other 

 than golden yellow on the fruit as they hang dependent from the trees. 



Near the Anglican church at Coomacka are the tombstones of three 

 of the former " Master Planters " of Pin. Markeye. marking the tombs of 

 De Her Cornelius Raasche who died in 1721 ; of Monsieur Nicholas 

 Eaasche* who died in 1722, and of De Her David Back who died in 1734 



Berbice appears t > have been the part of the colony where in early 

 days cacao was princip dly produced The maximum export, 114,000 lbs. 

 in those early days was in 1820. Like the early coftee-industry cacao- 

 planting was adversely affected about the time of the abolition of slavery, 

 the exports steadily decreasing from 1820 onwards until they disappeared 

 in 1832. Cacao did not re-appear among the exports until 1886, its ex- 

 port in that year amounting to 2,000 lbs. In 1896 the export was about 

 47,900 lbs. increasing in 1897 to 105,000 and attaining its maximum 

 of 124,000 lbs. in 1900. The progress of the industry as measured by 

 the area occupied and the exports and imports of cacao is shown in the 

 following table : — 



Cacao. 

 Quinquennial Periods. 



"These tombstones indicate that Monsieur Nicholas Raasche who was born in 1649 wan 

 the earlier " Master Planter" and probably proprietor of the estate and Cornelius Raasche, 

 his successor as " master planter," was his son born in 1689. 



