November, 1908], 



447 



Edible Product ft. 



to the conclusion that tobacco in Tir- 

 hut may be brought to almost any 

 state of perfection by careful cultivation 

 and curing. 



The failure of Tirhut tobacco in the 

 London market appears to have been 

 due to lack of care in these important 

 processes, but the erection of a tobacco 

 factory in Bihar by an American Com- 

 pany shows that tobacco experts do not 

 despair of the Indian product, and it is 

 to be hoped that in time the raiyat may 

 be induced to alter his methods suffi- 

 ciently at any rate to produce a clean if 

 not a well cured leaf. — Quarterly Journal 

 of the Department of Agriculture, Bengal, 

 July, 1908. 



CACAO IN SAMOA. 



That the cacao produced in the 

 German colony of Samoa is of excellent 

 quality is proved by the fact that at the 

 end of 1907 it commanded a price of 110s. 

 per cwt. on the London market. The 

 two varieties of cacao cultivated are the 

 Forastero and the Criollo, but the good 

 reputation of the Samoan product is 

 stated to be due to the Criollo. In his 

 latest report the British Consul at Upolu 

 discusses at considerable length the 

 question of cacao cultivation in the 

 Samoan islands, and gives much interest- 

 ing information in regard to the charac- 

 teristics of the two varieties grown. 

 These particulars, the Consul mentions, 

 were largely obtained by him from 

 articles written on the subject by Dr. 

 P. Preuss, and which appeared in the 

 Tropenpflanzer. The following extracts 

 are quoted : — 



Cacao trees in Samoa begin to beat- 

 after the fourth year and mature about 

 the seventh or eighth year, when the 

 yield should be 6 cwt. yearly per acre. 



Dr. Preuss has no doubt that the real 

 home of Samoan cacao is Venezuela, and 

 that the Venezuelan Criollo has certainly 

 undergone changes in the course of time 

 in Java, Ceylon, and Samoa. The husks, 

 are mostly rougher and more bulky at 

 the point, and the beans are smaller and 

 shorter. The colour of the nibs has 

 mostly become white, whilst in Vene- 

 zuela, at least with the red-shelled fruit, 

 it is mostly whitish violet. The princi- 

 pal difference, however, between Samoan 

 and Venezuelan Criollo is in the taste 

 and aroma. In this no cacao in the 

 world can equal the pure Venezuelan 

 Criollo. In Ceylon and Java these two 

 properties influencing the value of cacao 

 have gone back. Samoan cacao has lost 



some of its aroma, but when really well 

 prepared is, he says, ' the nearest to 

 Venezuelan Criollo in taste.' 



The beans of the Samoan Criollo are of 

 the same shaoe as those of the same 

 variety in Ceylon and Java, but, accord- 

 ing to Dr. Preuss, there appears to be a 

 difference in the colour of the nibs in a 

 fresh state, the colour of Samoan Criollo 

 being ordinarily pure white — not violet- 

 coloured as in Ceylon or Java. 



The colour of properly prepared and 

 dried Samoan cacao beans is glossy 

 brown with a reddish tint. When 

 whitish brown spots are found, as also 

 in Java, it reduces the value of the 

 product. 



The taste of well-prepared Samoan 

 cacao is mild, but at the same time 

 vigorous. The aroma is fine although 

 not very strong. Dr. Preuss states that 

 the Trinidad Forastero variety was in- 

 troduced into Samoa from Ceylon. As 

 regards the two varieties (Criollo and 

 Forastero) one is easily distinguished 

 from the other by the difference in 

 the hardness of the shell. Criollo can 

 be cut through smoothly and easily. 

 Forastero, except where it is a cross 

 with the former, has a very hard shell 

 which it is very difficult to cut with a 

 knife. The former, too, will be identified 

 by the white colour of its nibs. 



Samoan Forastero is undoubtedly supe- 

 rior to Trinidad Forastero because its 

 beans are fuller, its break looser and its 

 taste milder. It will become still more 

 superior when Samoan planters have 

 come up to the Trinidad planters in the 

 culture of the tree and the preparation 

 of the product- At times Forastero 

 fetches very good prices, and mixed with 

 Criollo it occasionally fetches as much 

 as pure Criollo. 



Although the difference in price 

 between the two kinds is not very great 

 so far, one must consider that up to the 

 present fancy prices have been paid for 

 Samoan cacao since the quantities offered 

 have been very small. As soon as large 

 quantities are put on the market it is 

 certain that the buyers will make a 

 sharper distinction between the two 

 qualities, and that Criollo will then be 

 valued considerably higher than for- 

 merly. When the market is unsteady 

 Criollo will not suffer as much as 

 Forastero. 



The Criollo variety can orly be success- 

 fully cultivated in very fertile soil — 

 virgin forest soil is to be preferred. 

 Forastero will flourish and yield good 

 crops on less fertile soils. On other 



