33 



there is a little stretch of coast where Cocoa does not flourish, until we 

 come to Carenaro, in which neighbourhood, the Rio Chico and Iguerote 

 are grown. All the best Caracas Cocoa comes from the country, west 

 of La Guaira — in fact, the further west you go, the better the Cocoa 

 becomes : the best of all coming from the two adjacent valleys, in which 

 the town of Ocumare and Choroni are situated, the Chuao estate being 

 situated in the latter valley. Each valley appears to have a slightly 

 different growth of Cocoa. 



Varieties of Cocoa Grown. — The two varieties of Cocoa grown in 

 Venezuela are, the Criollo and the Forastero, the Forastero Cocoa being 

 planted and grown on the Paria peninsula and probably in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Rio Chico, whilst the true Criollo Cocoa is grown in the 

 Ocumare and Choroni valleys, and in the neighbourhood of Porto 

 Cabello. Probably some of the commoner kinds of Porto Cabello Cocoa 

 come from the Forastero variety of tree, which has been planted in the 

 neighbourhood. 



The value of the Cocoa. — The value of the Caracas depends upon the 

 variety of the tree from which the beans are gathered, and the quality 

 of the soil upon which the Cocoa is grown. There appears to be no 

 doubt whatever, that the very best kinds of Caracas Cocoa can only 

 be grown on the best soils, and the best soils which have been found 

 hitherto have been those of the Ocumare and Choroni valleys. 



Arrangement of an £state. -The estates we saw were arranged exactly 

 as in Trinidad, the trees being planted about 12 or 15 feet apart, in 

 Jows and shaded by the Immortelles. 



Kind of Soil. — The soil around Porto Cabello, we noticed, was of a 

 rich red colour. The sand which was used to cover the Cocoa at 

 Ocumare comes from the Choroni Valley, from whence they get it on 

 account of its red colour. 



Work on an Estate. — Appeared to be the same as in Trinidad. The 

 labourers employed, were the native peons. There seemed to be very 

 few negroes in Venezuela, the bulk of the labourers being peons with 

 Spanish blood in their veins. 



Wages. — One man told us, at Ocumare, that he paid 90 cents for hav- 

 ing 6 fanegas of Cocoa gathered and cured. We did not learn what the 

 rate of wages were, but were told that they were high as labour is scarce. 



Gathering Cocoa. — The same as in Trinidad. 



Breaking Cocoa. — The same as in Trinidad, except, at Ocumare, we 

 noticed they cut open the pods lengthwise, instead of across, as in 

 Trinidad. 



iSweat Beans. — Those on some estates had been made on the Trinidad 

 model with cement. Elsewhere the Cocoa seemed to be thrown into a 

 wooden box upon banana leaves, the box being placed io some outhouse. 



Fermentation. — The owner of one estate said, he fermented one day 

 only. Another said he fermented his Cocoa three or four da\8. 



Brijivg Cocoa, — The old method of drying Cocoa in Venezuela is to 

 spread the beans out in a large, open, courtyard paved with tiles. 

 These courtyards are placed in front of the hacienda and have a low 

 wall running round the three sides. They slope towards the centre, 

 where there is a drain. If the weather be wet, the Cocoa has to be 



