58 BOTANY AND NOMENCLATURE. 



Calabacillo type hj the Amelonado variety, both red and yellow,, 

 and certainly stands as a large intermediate and variably typ& 

 between Oriollo and Calabacillo. In general the Forastero has a 

 thick skin. It approaches the Criollo in form, or runs into- 

 Criollo by its variety Cundeamor I'enigosa, red and yellow ; but 

 trees may be found bearing pods which are hardly to be 

 distinguished from the Criollo on the one side and the Calabacillo 

 on the other, thus showing the breadth of form covered. 



The planter should ascertain the character of his land with 

 as much accuracy as possible before deciding what variety of 

 Cacao he will plant. If very poor he can rely on Calabacillo 

 only, if moderately rich Forastero, but on rich and lasting 

 ground the best types may be planted. If however the best 

 types were grafted on the strong growing Calabacillo there 

 would be more probability of succeeding in growing the best 

 varieties on inferior as well as rich soils. 



The generality of plantations in Trinidad contain trees so- 

 mixed in character that it is dilficult to separate one kind from 

 another, although it cannot be doubted that it would pay well 

 for any extra trouble, if a system of planting each type in. 

 separate fields were adopted. 



The contract system which prevails in Trinidad is probably 

 more to blame for the mixed character of the fields than any- 

 thing else. The contractor has perhaps in the first instance 

 planted from seeds supplied to him presumably, all of one kind. 

 In supplying first vacancies he uses the stronger and larger 

 growing plants, and in places where the plant has refused to 

 grow after planting twice or thrice, he will (rather than lose 

 count of a tree) put in a plant of the strong-growing Calabacillo. 



In length the leaves of Criollo type vary from 5 to 12 

 inches and from 2 to 4 inches in breadth. Some were 

 recently examined over three feet in length. Forastero Cacao 

 gives the largest leaves of all. For the sake of accuracy I have 

 made special measurements of some growing in the Royal 

 Botanic Gardens and find that they vary from 9 to 21 inches in 

 length, and range from 2i to 6 inches in width. 



The leaves of the Calabacillo type are shorter and wider in 

 comparison with their length than either Criollo or Forastero. 



It must be understood, however, that these measurements 

 are taken from extreme forms, and that the nearer the' trees 

 approach other varieties, the nearer alike are the leaves. 



Cacao is said to have been cultivated largely in Jamaica 

 some two hundred years ago, but according to Long, in his 

 History of Jamaica, the plantations were destroyed by a " blast.*' 



