4 CACAO 



grown in the West Indies and tropical America. The 

 CrioUo varieties are chiefly distinguished by their white or 

 light-coloured beans and by the high quality of their cured 

 produce, and also by the less vigorous growth of the tree 

 when compared with other varieties. The Venezuelan 

 and Nicaraguan varieties are much alike, but in the Nicar- 

 aguan form the pod is frequently sharp-pointed at the base, 

 well seen in the work of Dr. Preuss, Plate I., Fig. 2, also in 

 Wright^s work, 1907 edition, p. 28. These latter kinds 

 produce beans of great size, but that of the Nicaraguan 

 CrioUo is the larger. The characters of the beans are 

 also well shown by Preuss on page 166 of his work. The 

 pods of Venezuelan and Nicaraguan CrioUo are both high- 

 shouldered, and stand in great contrast to the bottle- 

 necked form of Trinidad CrioUo, but the beans of all this 

 class have the same white- or light-coloured interior. The 

 identity of Trinidad CrioUo is confirmed by its being found 

 in virgin forest in that island. What is known locally as 

 " Ocumare cacao " in Venezuela is a form of Venezuelan 

 CrioUo. In some of the Venezuelan and in some of the 

 Trinidad CrioUos there is a distinct approach in the form of 

 the pod to that which is recognised as the type of Forastero 

 cacao. Forastero cacao, as known in the West Indies, is 

 a specially variable kind, that recognised as typical being a 

 strong grower, bearing large rough ridged pods with beans 

 varying in colour from individual trees and also from single 

 pods. The colour of the interior of the beans ranges from 

 light to dark purple, and they show a good average break ; 

 the better the bean, the more apparent is its blend with 

 the CrioUo, and it is of lower quality as it approaches the 

 Calabacillo type, 



Calabacillo cacao is inferior to the previously mentioned 

 forms, but the type is a strong growing tree, which flourishes 

 on lands where the better varieties refuse to thrive, and it 

 can do with less shade ; hence it is strongly recommended 

 as a stock for grafting selected varieties. In appearance 

 the pods are smooth and oval, the beans thin, solid, and 

 darkly coloured. As they are heavier than those of high- 



