26 



The Criollo variety gives the smallest yield of the 3 varieties, and 

 the tree is more subject to disease than the other two. 



Whilst these 3 varieties exist in Trinidad, the bulk of the trees are 

 strains of the Forastero and Calabacillo, the Forastero variety largely 

 predominating. 



In Grenada the Calabacillo predominates ; in the west of Venezuela 

 the Criollo is grown. 



The various varieties of Cocoa are distinguished by the pods and 

 seeds, the shape of the pods and the size of the seeds. 



The Calabacillo has a small round pod — the Criollo a long narrow 

 one — the stalk end being constricted. The Forastero has a long pod 

 without the constriction. The beans of the Criollo Cocoa are round 

 and thick, and when cut are white in the centre and of a sweet flavour. 

 Those of the Forastero are not so round, and flatter than the Criolla 

 beans and when cut, have a purple colour, and bitter taste 



The Calabacillo beans are smaller, flatter and more purple than the 

 Forastero beans. When these beans have been fermented and dried, 

 the Criollo is of a light brown colour, the Forastero a dark brown, the 

 Calabacillo a purple colour. The break" of the Criollo Cocoa is bet- 

 ter than that of the Forastero, whilst the Calabacillo has a more 

 slatey" appearance when cut across The commoner varieties of Co- 

 coa require longer fermentation to make them at all palatable (i.e. to 

 remove the bitter taste). 



All the varieties of Cocoa bear both red and yeUow pods this being 

 no indication of the quality of the Cocoa. 



The value of the Cocoa depends upon 



(1) The variety of the tree from which the beans are gathered. 



(2) The method of fermentation adopted by the planter. 



(3) The quality of the soil on which the Cocoa is grown. 



The very finest flavoured Cocoas can only be grown on certain soils. 



One planter attributed the quality of his Cocoa to the care that was 

 taken in the sel ction of the trees and the difference in quality between 

 his and another estate was due to this fact, as they are both grown in 

 the same valley on contiguous estates. 



The Criollo Cocoa had been tried, but it was difficult to grow, and the 

 yield was small, consequently the trees had been pulled up. 



Seeds have been taken from the trees grown in the Ocumare and 

 Choroni Valleys of Venezuela and planted in other parts of Venezuela 

 and Trinidad, bui have not given Choroni Cocoa, and trees from other 

 districts planted at Ocumare in 4 generations produced Ocumare Coc- a. 



However, one must not forget that there i« only I -16th of the ovi* 

 ginal strain of Cocoa, if the tree is planted at Ocumare surrounded by 

 trees of the true Criollo type. 



Probably it would be safe to say one could grow Cocoa in any West 

 Indian Island, like the average Cocoa produced in any part of the world, 

 but not equal to the best of any particular kind. ^It would be necessary 

 to take seed from the variety of Cocoa one wanted to imitate, fermtnt 

 it in exactly the same way, and to take care the flower was not croised 

 by any local variety growing near. 



Formation of an ^s^^z^^e.— The estates in Trinidad are nearly all formed 

 by contractors. That is to say the planter gives a certain portion of 

 his land to a contractor, generally a negro, who clears it and plants the 



