100 



tins, several boots, and in fact pretly nearly every known article in 

 the world. This was the result of gross carelessness. The people 

 who packed the bags at the country shops were not dishonest ; they 

 simply let them lie about open, and when the emptied, say, a tin of 

 condensed milk, it was the most natural thing in the world to throw 

 it into the coffee bag, and perhaps the opener as well. Experience 

 had taught him that he dare not send away coffee without repacking 

 it, or the people with whom he did business abroad would think he 

 was not a honest man, and would write to tell him that when they 

 wanted to buy hammers and chisels they would prefer to go to the 

 hardware store. 



Turning to the subject of cocoa, Mr. DeMercado said it was a pro- 

 duct of comparatively recent date in Jamaica, or rather a revival. 

 When the I&land was first occupied by the Spaniards they found cocoa- 

 growing, and they kept up the cultivation for many years, until even- 

 tually it died out from want of care. He came across a curious legend 

 about it in an old book the other day. As his hearers perhaps knew, 

 there was a worm which attacked the tap root of the cocoa plant and 

 proved very destructive if not guarded against. The old Spaniards 

 told the first English settlers that when the Indians planted cocoa they 

 held a religious ceremony and poured a libation to their gods over each 

 plant, which had the effect of rendering it immune from this worm. 

 Of course, people were too sensible to believe that sort of thing now a 

 days, and they could keep the worm away without libations. He 

 could thoroughly recommend the planting of cocoa in Jamaica pro- 

 vided the district w T as suitable. It could be easily cured with a little 

 attention and care and the small proprietor could reach a level of excel- 

 lence aliLOst equal to that of the large grower. Cocoa was one of the 

 products Jamaica had improved herself in of recent years. She used to 

 be much behind Trinidad, but now she was almost up to her. The 

 house and the implements used by the large grower could be easily im- 

 itated by the small man. After the cocoa had been gathered when in 

 a fit state, the pods should be kept in a dry place for some days. The 

 pod should then be broken and the cocoa-beams taken out with the 

 mucilage adhering to them, and put in a box with holes in the bottom 

 and sides to allow of the mucilage running off during sweating. Plan- 

 tain or banana leaves should be packed on top to help the sweating. 

 The longer the process of sweating the better. Three or four days 

 would probably be long enough in most cases. The cocoa beans should 

 be changed from box to box several times during the process so that 

 all parts of the heap would have a chance of equal fermentation by 

 being shifted from the middle to the top or bottom. Then the cocoa 

 should be put in the sun and spread out very thin. In Trinidad 

 coolies walked over the cocoa in this state with bare feet to take up 

 the mucilage, but this must Dot be done after it was partially dry or 

 it would break the beans The period of drying depended upon the 

 heat of the sun, but it must be carried to such a point that the bean 

 would break easily and the skin would leave the bean without being 

 brittle. By this simple method, if properly carried out, the small 

 settler could get cocoa that would prove readily marketable and fetch 

 a very good price indeed. Mr. DeMercado exhibited a sample of small 

 settlers' cocoa from St. Andrew and Linstead improperly fermented 



