and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



97 



The cocoa crop of the Portuguese Islands of 

 San Thome and Principe, though still very con- 

 siderable, showed a slight falling-off in 1906. It 

 is considered questionable whether San Thorn£ 

 will ever again hold the position of the first cocoa- 

 producing country in view of the very limited 

 area of land now remaining available for fresh 

 plantations, whilst in some other countries, such 

 as Brazil, there appears to be still an unlimited 

 extent of land available for cultivation. 



The second largest cocoa crop in 1906 was 

 produced in Ecuador, the country which pre- 

 vious to 1904 had always held the first rank. 

 During the last few years, however, the pro- 

 duction of Ecuador seems to be subject to con- 

 siderable fluctuations. The prominent port for 

 cocoa exportation from Ecuador is Guayaquil : 

 in 1905, for instance, 17,051,531 kilos, of cocoa 

 out of a total export of 21,127,833 kilos, were 

 shipped from that port. In 1906 thetotal exports 

 from Ecuador amounted to 24,237,630 kilos. 



San Domingo deserves special notice, as it is 

 likely to become an important cocoa-producing 

 country at some future time. During late years 

 many more plantations have been added to those 

 already in existence, and production is steadily 

 increasing, whilst there is still a large area of 

 land available for cultivation, which will no 

 doubt be planted within a few years. 



The 1906 crop in Trinidad was considerably 

 smaller than that of 1905, and exports which had 

 reached more than 20 million kilos, in the latter 

 year amounted in 1906 to only 13,162,860 kilos. It 

 is, however, stated that cocoa planters in Trini- 

 dad have now taken serious steps towards 

 ensuring a more regular, and also a greater 

 crop, whilst the Government of the island is 

 assisting their efforts by furnishing expert 

 advice. 



The production of cocoa in Venezuela has of 

 late years made only slight progress, though 

 there is stated to be a large extent of land 

 available for plantations, in addition to that 

 already cultivated. 



The yield of the cocoa plantations in British 

 West Africa, viz., the Gold Coast and Lagos was 

 a very satisfactory one in 1906, and largely ex- 

 ceeded that of the previous year. The total 

 exportations from both colonies in 1906 was 

 9,738,904 kilos., as against 5,620,240 in 1905, thus 

 showing a very considerable development in 

 production ; whilst numerous new plantations 

 are being laid out every year. Together with 

 .San Domingo, the Gold Coast is now attracting 

 the greatest attention amongst cocoa- producing 

 countries. 



Before 1904 the cocoa crop of Grenada ex- 

 ceeded that of the British We3t African 

 Colonies ; but since then conditions have 

 changed, for whilst in 1904 the crop in 

 Grenada was 9,226,700 kilos, and that of 

 British West Africa 5,687,964 kilos.— in 1906 

 Grenada produced only 5,057,030 kilos., whilst 

 the crop in West Africa was 9,738,964 kilos. 

 Nearly all the Grenada cocoa is exported to 

 Great Britain. It is, however, stated that new 

 plantations have been started in Grenada during 

 the last few years, and that extensive improve- 

 ments have been introduced, so as to ensure a 

 return of the island to its old productiveness. 



A decrease is apparent in the 1906 cocoa crop 

 in Ceylon, as compared with 1905, but it is ex- 

 pected that the output will be recovered in 1907. 

 The prevalence of numerous diseases amongst 

 the cocoa plants in Ceylon is stated to be the 

 chief cause which prevents a satisfactory deve- 

 lopment of production in that island. 



Owing to the united efforts, both of the autho- 

 rities and of the planters themselves, which had 

 been carried on during recent years, Jamaica 

 experienced a considerable advance in its cocoa 

 production in 1906, which amounted to about 

 one million kilos. 



Whilst the Cuban cocoa production in 1906 

 was larger than that in the previous year, it has 

 to be borne in mind that a considerable portion 

 of the crop is consumed in Cuba itself, as there 

 are numerous factories established there. 



Cocoa production in Hayti is declining in ex- 

 tent, and the condition of things there is not 

 considered satisfactory, On the one hand the 

 laws of the country prevent the investment of 

 foreign capital in cocoa plantations in this island 

 and on the other hand there is a great want of 

 means of communication with tb.9 interior for 

 enabling produce to be brought to market. 



The production of Java in 1906 slightly ex- 

 ceeded that of 1905; it is however, not known 

 whether the increase was due to the fine weather 

 or to the yield being augmented by the new 

 plantations. The larger proportion of the Java 

 and Surinam crop is usually exported to 

 Holland. 



No reliable statistics regarding the 1906 cocoa 

 crop of Fernando Po are available : the exports 

 are, however, roughly estimated at one and-a- 

 half million kilos, that is to say, rather less than 

 those of 1905. 



The Dutch Colony of Surinam experienced an 

 unfavourable harvest in 1906, inasmuch as more 

 than two-thirds of the cocoa crop wa* destroyed 

 by disease. 



