THE CACAO-TREE. 



T 



II. 



THE CACAO-TREE. 



HE term u Cocoa" is a corruption of 

 Cacao," but is almost universally 

 used in English-speaking countries. The 

 cacao-tree belongs to the natural order of 

 Sterculiaceae, a family of about 41 gen- 

 era and 521 species, inhabiting the warmer 

 regions of the world. None of them grow 

 naturally in our climate, or in Europe, 

 and, excepting the little yellow-flowered 

 Mahernie, they are very seldom seen in our 

 conservatories. 



The cacao-tree can be cultivated in suit- 

 able situations within the 25th parallels of 

 latitude. It flourishes best, however, with- 

 in the 1 5th parallels, at elevations varying 

 from near the sea-level up to about 2,000 

 feet in height. The following table con- 



