6 



COCOA. 



Para cocoa, wliicli is about the lowest-priced variety, is, with one ex- 

 ception, the highest in the table, so that, viewed as an article of food, 

 it is superior to some of the more expensive kinds. The soluble ash 

 consists, to a great extent, of phosphate of potash, the phosphoric acid 

 in the portion insoluble in water being mostly, if not entirely, 

 combined with magnesia." 



The cocoa production of the world may be set down as follows, 

 according to the latest returns : 



Lbs. 



Brazil 7,000,000 



Venezuela 7,000,000 



Equador 28,000,000 



Trinidad 11,000,000 



Grenada 2,419,424 



Dominica 189,782 



St. Lucia 255,614 



Jamaica 50,512 



French Guiana .. .. ,. 66,000 



Guadaloupe 206,000 



Martinique 686,000 



St. Vincent and Hayti .. .. 550,000 



Mexico .. ' 2,000,000 



Celebes 250,000 



Production and Consumption. — Cocoa and chocolate are compara- 

 tively little used in this country, compared with the other articles 

 employed for dietetic beverages. The quantity taken for consumption 

 last year (1875) was nearly 10,000,000 lbs., or rather more than a 

 quarter of a pound for each person of the population. Still, it is 

 gradually on the increase, as will be seen by the following statistics, 

 showing the annual quantity consumed, and the percentage of con- 

 sumption per head of the population in the kingdom. 



When we consider that the imports of cocoa into this country in 

 each of the years 1873 and 1874, were over 18,000,000 lbs., there was 

 an abundant supply to fall back upon, had there been a commensurate 

 demand. Looking at the small consumption here, and that there is 

 only the Continental market to depend upon, there is but little 

 encouragement to our colonial planters to extend the production. 



The value of the cocoa imported annually into the United Kingdom 

 is about 500,000Z. The quantity now received here ranges between 

 18,000,000 and 19,000,000 lbs., one-half of which is kept for use in 

 Great Britain. 



The following gives the quantity of cocoa annually retained for 

 consumption in the United Kingdom, and the average consumption 

 per head of the population : 



Year. 



1840 

 1841 

 1842 

 1843 

 1844 

 1845 

 1846 

 1847 



Lbs. 



2,041,678 

 1,928,847 

 2,246,569 

 2,547,934 

 2,589,977 

 2,579,497 

 2,951,206 

 3,079,198 



Lb. 



0-08 

 0-07 

 0-08 

 0-09 

 0-09 

 0-09 

 0-11 

 0-11 



1848 

 1849 

 1850 

 1851 

 1852 

 1853 

 1854 

 1855 



Lbs. 



2,919,591 

 3,206,746 

 3,080,641 

 2,978,344 

 3,328,527 

 3,997,198 

 4,452,529 

 4,383,023 



Lb. 



0-10 

 0-12 

 0-11 

 0-11 

 0-12 

 0-15 

 016 

 0-16 



