7 



OOOOA (OR OAOAO)— COOA-COOO-COCOANUT. 



(From the Ceylon Observer of June S8, 1893.) 



"FOUR WORDS IN COMMON USE." 



Probably no four words in common use have become more tangled and confused in the minds of learned 

 and unlearned than cacao, coca, coco, and cocoa. Dr. Eugene Murray Aaron points out tliat even critics 

 themselves stumble in attempts to clear away the confusion, and he mentions that the four distinct 

 products to which the names belong— the first and last of great importance — are commonly mixed under 

 the one term cocoa. These products are : — 



1. Cocoa [Theobroma Cacao), the chocolate berry tree. This is an evergreen growing from 15 to 45 

 feet, a native of tropical America, but now become wild in Africa. It bears pointed pods, each of 

 which contains a number of the nutritive seeds. From the seeds are derived " cacao nibs," " chocolate" 

 (the most important substance), "cacao" (erroneously called cocoa in English countries), "broma," 

 "cacao shells," and "cacao butter." 



2. Coca ( Erythroxylon Coca), the coca leaf bush. This shrub is found in the Andes, and is famed for 

 the extraordinary stimulating properties of its leaves, which are known as "spadic" as well as "coca," 

 and contain two alkaloids — cocain and hygrin. 



3. Coco (Colocasia exulentum, et al.), the coco roots. The name is properly applied only to the 

 tubers of several allied species of plants, which furnish a starch-laden food in tropical countries. 



4. Cocoa (Gocos nuci/era), the cocoanut palm, which yields the well-known hard-shelled fruit, together 

 with valuable fibre. — Straits paper. 



[No distinction is made between the product of the chocolate plant, namely "cocoa" and the palm 

 fruit in the above, so far as spelling goes. As it is unpossible to get Mincing Lane to give up the use of 

 "cocoa" for pods and nibs, to make some distinction we, on the suggestion of Dr. Trimen, have dropped 

 the "a" in the palm's name, making it "coconut," which is more in accordance with the botanical name, 

 Gocos nucifera. This has been followed, we are glad to see, by the Kew authorities, by Nature and 

 other London papers. We seldom or never hear of " coco roots." — Ed. C. 0.] 



We have made attempts during the year to find out whether any of the trees of 

 the original type of Cacao, which is recorded as being formally cultivated, were still 

 in existence in Trinidad (i.e.) that type grown before the introduction of the Forastero 

 varieties. The evidence from Nicaragua and Ceylon tended to show that this type of 

 Cacao possessed a seed with uncoloured embryo and cotyledons. Nearly all the Cacao 

 on the estates of to-day, proves to be of that kind which produces a bean coloured in 

 the interior; which appears to be a characteristic of the Forastero type. Towards the 

 end of the year a pod was kindly sent to the gardens, gathered from the high woods in 

 the interior, which produced the uncoloured bean, and was of the form which common 

 consent accords to "Criollo" Cacao, and there appears thus to be little doubt that we 

 have still the original variety with us. Whether it would pay to give more attention 

 to its cultivation on account of its quality, is a matter to be proved by the planter, 

 but it is fairly evident that if grown there would be no trouble in producing a fac 

 simile of Ceylon Cocao in Trinidad, as it appears to be clear that the colour is not due 

 to the influence of climate or cultivation, but to a difference in the variety of plant 

 cultivated. 



A collection of Exhibits was prepared by the Gardens and sent to the Chicago 

 Exhibition, of which the following is a list : — 



1. Arrowroot — (From Maranta Arunidinacea. 



2. Starch— (From Pachyrhizus tuberosus.) 



3. Starch — Extracted fromseeds — Cycascircincdis. 



4. Moka Coffee— (Small berried.) 



5. Arabian Coffee — (Coffee Arabica. ) 



6. Sansevieria Fibre — (From Sansevieria longi- 



7. Agave Fibre — Agave rigida. [folia.) 



8. Agave Fibre— .4^aue rigida, var. sisalana. 



9. Trinidad Cigars. 



10. Chutney— (West Indian.) 



11. Cacao Vinegar — (From the pulp of the Cacao 



12. Carap Oil — Uarapa Ouianensis. [Bean. ) 



13. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21— Essential Oils. 



22. Dried Cloves. 



23, 24, 25, 26— Bamboo poles. 



27. Vanilla. 



28. Cirmamon. 



29 & 30— Tinctures. 



31. Balsam Copaiva. 



32 & 33 — Nutmeg or Mace. 



34. Fibre — Abutilon periploci/olium. 



35 & 36 — Chione and Mangrove Barks. 



37. Mangrove Cutch. 



38. Annatto. 



39. Cohune Nuts, 



40-45 — Cacao Pods in solution. 

 47 & 48 — Logwood and Fustic. 



49. Vegetable Blood — ( Grolon gossypyfoliua.) 



50. Fish Poison — Clibadium surinamemis. 



51. Ardrue — Gyperus articidatus. 



52. Sarsaparilla — Simlax oficinali. 



53. "Dragon's Blood" — Pterocarpus marsupium. 



54. Delta Bark — Alstona Scholaris. 



55. Rubber — Gastilloa elaslica. 



56. Areca Nut — Areca Gatechu. 



57. Letter Wood — Brosimum Aubletii. 

 58 to 72 — Miscellaneous Exhibits. 



Besides this a collection of 50 large and small plants were prepared and forwarded. 



As will be observed from the Section under the head of /'Bulletin," much that 

 would otherwise appear in an annual Report is already in the hands of readers, and 

 without the delay of waiting some months for publication. The issue of " Circulars" 

 has also been commenced during the year and they have been fairly successful in 

 drawing attention at once to matters of importance in connection with Agri- 

 Horticultural matters. 



J. H. HART, F.L.S., 



Superintendent . 



The Hon'ble the Colonial Secretary, 

 Trinidad. 



