264 CACAO 



to conclude that cacao seeds may be gathered, dried, and 

 despatched as easily as the ordinary seeds of the garden, 

 and are much surprised when informed that cacao seeds 

 cannot be dried without at once losing vitality, and that 

 this is a common feature with many tropical seeds. Cacao 

 seeds may, however, either be transported in the pod, or in 

 packing which does not absorb moisture from, or supply 

 it to, the seed; they may as an alternative be placed 

 in a position to germinate slowly, or be sown in suitable 

 earth to germinate and grow during the voyage. A 

 certain amount of success will generally attend any of these 

 methods, but only experts can decide which is the best to 

 use under certain conditions. In 1893 the writer success- 

 fully transported 25,000 cacao plants from Trinidad to 

 Nicaragua, a report on which is to be found in the Trinidad 

 Official Bulletin of that year. Many thousands of seeds 

 have been sent to Africa, both to German and British 

 possessions, and it is within our knowledge that further 

 considerable supplies of seeds have been supplied by 

 various persons to European plant dealers for re-export 

 to African States. Success, however, did not always attend 

 the earlier efforts, and it has been our care to study the 

 reasons which cavised failure. This it was which enabled 

 us to adopt such measures in the end as led to successful 

 transport. 



Tropical plants and seeds will not stand low temperatures, 

 and in our opinion most failures are due, first, to their being 

 sent at seasons when they have to encounter en route 

 temperatures unsuitable to their welfare ; secondly, to 

 the want of suitable preparation ; and thirdly to their 

 being sent in packages not adapted to secure safe transport. 

 They must not be sent in too large a package or fermentation 

 will destroy their vitality, especially when they are passing 

 through hot climates. 



" Wardian cases " stand first in securing safety in 

 transport of plants and seeds, and in these packages cacao 

 can be sent long distances. These cases are made in 

 various forms, but the most suitable is that adopted by 



