272 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agricultiurint 



THE WORLD'S COCOA CROPS. 



GREAT INCREASE IN YIELDS. 



The following article on the Future of the 

 Cocoa Supply is taken from the consular report 

 of the United States Consul-General at Hamburg. 

 The information put forward is rather startling, 

 and will be read with interest by Dlanters, of 

 course, in all parts of the Tropics : — 



" W ithin fifteen years, according to that eminent 

 authority, the Gordian, of Hamburg, the world's 

 crop of raw cocoa beans has increased from 

 75,000tons to 205,000tons. Should only the Gold 

 Coast crop continue to increase at its present 

 ratio, and other crops remain stationary, by 1914 

 the world's crop will have reached 360,000 tons. 

 Should these anticipations be verified, by that 

 time the Gold Coast singly, with a crop of 

 180,00 J tons, will be producing enough raw cocoa 

 to supply the present total requirements. These 

 are staggering figures andthoy place before the 

 trade the alternative of prep -ring new markets 

 or of precipitating such a crisis as disturbed 

 the coffee trade, particularly the planters, some 

 years ago. 



Increased Crop and Consumption. 



The cocoa crop increased 65 per cent, from 

 1903 to 19u9, and is expected to increase 75 per 

 cent, between 1909 and 1914. Can the consuming 

 markets keep pace with this forward movement? 

 It may be doubted. While the cocoa crop in- 

 creased 65 per cent., the nine leading consuming 

 nations advanced their requirements by only 

 about 60 per cent., as follows : — 





1903. 



19C9. 





tons. 



tolls. 



Ueamany 



21634 



40724 



U. S. A. 



2729 L 



53378 



France 



20741 



23254 



England 



18681 



24264 



Holland 



10730 



19387 



Switzerland 



5856 



6684 



Belgium 



2767 



5009 



Austria 



2034 



4245 



Russia 



1900 



3000 



Totals 



111634 



179945 



In this increase of 68,311 tons, Germany and 

 the United States participated to the extent of 

 45,177 tons, and even should they do as well 

 within the next five years, unless the other con- 

 suming nations did as much the gain would be 

 far from equalling the anticipated increase in 

 the crop. It follows that if farmers keep on ex- 

 tending their plantations, and unless the power 

 of absorption of the markets is considerably 

 multiplied, 



STOCKS ARE BOUND TO ACCUMULATE 



and prices to go down. Stocks in storage, par- 

 ticularly the African kinds, will lose in quality, 

 and planters will become discouraged. Thus one 

 crisis will succeed another, a condition only to 

 be avoided by limiting the accumulation of 

 stocks to the requirements of six months — a feat 

 only possible if consumption be forced. 



The chief reliance of the trade in this pros- 

 pective emergency is upon the growing popu- 

 larity of cocoa beverages in the United States. 

 How important this change in American public 

 taste is, may be seen from the following statis- 

 tics, showing quantities imported : — 





Kaw cocoa 



Coffee 



Tea 





tons 



tons ct 



tons i 



1895 



13188*1 



293500 



43764 



1896 



10474-4 



261300 



42299 



1897 



9362 '9 



331900 



5l< 06 



1898 



11572"8 



396800 



32381 



1899 



15980'5 



379900 



32776 



1900 



18768'0 



354600 



37486 



1901 



20665-9 



384700 



39826 



1902 



23120 7 



49(i900 



33469 



1903 



. ■ i/ - >t. S 



41lf 00 



47084 



1904 



32164-1 



442800 



49330 



1905 



3523 1*6 



471500 



45872 



1906 



S7948-5 



383500 



41664 



1907 



37526 5 



443400 



38187 



1908 



42615-2 



403500 



4-896 



1909 



533787 



410000 



46' 00 



a Approximate. 



The consumption of cocoa products in the 

 Uaited States (and this is also true of Germany) 

 progresses with such steadiness that confidence 

 is expressed in its continuance. There are now 

 107 chocolate factories in operation in the 

 United States, and the number increases from 

 year to year. However, although 



THE GENERAL DEMAND FOR COCOA PBODUCT8 



grows greater and, to some extent, at the ex- 

 pense of tea and coffee, the production of raw 

 cocoa increases still more rapidly, and if this 

 fact occasions concern in trade circles, it also 

 suggests that better days are in store for the 

 consumers of one of the world's greatest 

 beverages. 



LIBERIAN PEPPERS. 



One Closelv Resembling Cardamoms. 



The first kind of pepper discovered in Liberia 

 was called grains of paradise. From a kindred 

 species these are sometimes called cardamoms, 

 but they are now better known as malaguesta. 

 The leaves of this plant are long and of a light 

 glossy green ; the flowers grow close to the 

 ground, stretching upward from hidden roots. 

 The flowers are succeeded by flat, oblong fruit 

 which when ripe aro about 5 inches long and 

 yellow, russet or scarlet in colour. On account 

 of the sweetness of its pulp, the fruit is a favo- 

 rite food of the gorilla. With a shiny dark 

 brown colour on the outside and a white kernel 

 the seed is not larger than hemp seed. The ker- 

 nel is exceedingly aromatic and spicy. Accor- 

 ding to an American consular report, the mala- 

 guesta, on account of its spicy and aromatic 

 qualities was highly prized by Europe and was 

 the foundation of most of the spices and flavour- 

 ing of its drinks and viands, although for some 

 unknown reason it does not now appear among 

 Liberian exports. It is thought that if the 

 valuable properties of this pepper were known 

 in the United States, there would be a large 

 demand therefor. Widely used by the natives 

 this pepper grows in great abundance through- 

 out the coast forests of Liberia. Another pepper 

 is made from the fruit of the Xyloyla cethiopica 

 a tree which grows from 30 to 60 feet high. This 

 is known under various names — Afric<ui, Guinea 

 or Negro pepper. From the fruit a tonic is also 

 made. The wood of this tree is very elastic and 

 is used for oars and masts for small craft. — 

 Vhamber of Commerce Journal, for August. 



