34 



gathered up and taken inside, as there is no roof to put oyer it in case 



of rain, as in Trinidad. Just before the Cocoa is dry, it is rubbed over 

 with red sand, which has been previously sifted. It is thought the 

 sand helped to keep out insects. It also possibly hardens the shell and 

 pr vents breakage, and, of course, it also gives the Cocoa a more even, 

 and better appearance. All the Venezuela (^ocoa is dried again at the 

 port before shipment. It takes three or four days to dry on the 

 hacienda. At Carupano in the courtyard behind a planter's house, 

 were a great many large wooden trays in which the Cocoa was spread, 

 exposed to the sun. These trays were made to run on lines, and were 

 pushed under sheds, which were ranged round the courtyard, at night 

 time, and when ii rained. At La Gruaira. Cocoa was drying upon the 

 roof of a warehouse. This seemed to be the method adopted th«re 



Picking and Storing.— This was done by means of a Pernollet ma- 

 chine on one estate at Ocumare, but probably this was an exception. 



Draining. — This w«8 well looked after at Ocumare, all the estates we 

 saw. being drained. 



Time of Crop. — Corresponds with the Trinidad crop. 



Yield of Trees. — We were told by the owner of an estate at Ocu- 

 mare, that the trees yield from one to two pounds each, and again, we 

 were told that they averaged one pound each. 



Size of Estates. — A planter had amalgamated nine or ten estates at 

 Ocumare, and had an output of 2,500 bags of 110 lbs. each. There 

 were some four or five more estates in the valley. 



Value of Estates. — The 9 or 10 estates mentioned above had cost 

 ^£80,000, 



Cost of Froduction.This was difficult to get at, but in talking to a 

 planter at Ocumare, we mentioned that they hnd told us in Trinidad 

 that the cost was 8 dollars per cwt. This price, he said, struck him as 

 excessive. 



Shipping Cocoa. — All the cocoa grown on the Paria peninsula is now 

 shipped from Carupano, whilst a Guaira only sends that grown round 

 Rio Chico, and in the Valleys to the west of La Guaiia. This does not 

 include Maracaibo which ships direct. 



Increase in the Production of Cocoa. — The production of Cocoa in 

 Venezuela was not extending. The district around t'orto Cabello pro- 

 duces about 7,000 bags and the best valley appeared to be well planted 

 up, so that theie is not much possible room for extension. 



General Remarks. — The system of cultivation and preparation in 

 Venezuela is said to be very crude, and there was a great lack of 

 system. There is no increase in production going on in the common 

 kinds of Coc( a, though there is plenty of land for this, owing to the 

 lack of energy on the part of the people. There did not appear to be 

 .any reliable statistics on the production of Cocoa. 



The price of common Cocoa depends upon the price ruling, in other 

 kinds, upon the European markets, whilst the price for the better kinds 

 which cannot be got elsewhere, depends upon the quality produced in 

 .ihe one or two valleys where it is grown. 



