January, 1909.J 



19 



Edible Products. 



to obtain the eecessary blends. The 

 average grower may be content with his 

 returns, but why should not West 

 Indies, with her excellent facilities for 

 growing cacao, be possesed of and grow 

 all the various kinds needed by the 

 manufacturer to make the required 

 blends, for the production of high-class 

 chocolate and cocoa? Or why should 

 not the West Indies possess sufficient of 

 each kind to be able to start successfully 

 the local manufacture of various cacao 



products ? 



It cannot be done to-day, because 

 several of the special qualities necessary 

 for making the flavours now recognized, 

 and demanded, are absent from West 

 Indian cultivation. Therefore it is 

 important to encourage the introduc- 

 tion of plants of all the foreign cacaos 

 which are necessary for the preparation 

 of the manufacturers' blends. They 

 should be kept pure by reproduction 

 solely by budding and grafting. 



The West Indies would then be able to 

 put into the hands of the manufacturer 

 all that he needs in the way of qualities. 



It may be said that prices of Trinidad 

 cacao are at present satisfactory. But 

 will they always be so ? Every endea- 

 vour should be made to take advan- 

 tage of every improvement to raise the 

 quality of cacao, as in years of bad prices 

 it is well known that certain brands sell 

 at higher rates than others, because the 

 manufacturers require them, and that in 

 general a pure brand or well-known 

 mark is accepted at higher prices than 

 ordinary mixed strains. There is nothing 

 to be said against a grower who wishes 

 and prefers to grow a low-grade cacao, 

 but it is fairly clear that his returns will 

 not equal those obtained by the growers 

 of high-class produce, and even these 

 will fetch more if kept pure by vegeta- 

 tive reproduction, as they can be better 

 relied on for strength and evenness of 

 quality. 



The question of the production of high- 

 class cacao of the various market quali- 

 ties appears to be a very desirable one; 

 and should be the aim of cultivators who 

 wish to attain to a high standard. 



Discussion. 

 The President : I am glad to take 

 advantage of this opportunity of ex- 

 pressing the general feeling in the West 

 Indies in regard to Mr. Hart's long 

 and useful career in connection with 

 agriculture. Mr. Hart snent the earlier 

 years in Jamaica where he was connected 

 with my Department there. He has 

 since been in Trinidad, and there can be 

 no doubt whatever as regards the earn 

 estness and thoroughness with which he 

 7 



has carried on his work. I am very glad 

 of this opportunity of putting that on 

 record, and also of thanking him for this 

 very useful, and, I think, very suggestive 

 paper which he has presented before the 

 Conference to-day.— West Indian Bul- 

 letin, Vol. IX., No. 2. 



THE CHARACTERS OP CRIOLLO 

 CACAO. 



By J. H. Hart, f.l,s,, 

 Superintendent, Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 Trinidad. 



Criollo cacao, as represented by the 

 specimens exhibited, may be divided 

 into three sections : (1) Trinidad Criollo, 

 (2) Venezuelan Criollo, and (3) Nicaraguan 

 Criollo. 



Triuidad Criollo is supposed to be 

 indigenous to Trinidad. The specimens 

 exhibited are the produce of trees grown 

 from pods selected by G. Kernaham, 

 Esqr., taken from original forest in the 

 district of Manzanilla, Trinidad. Some 

 of the pods were yellow, and some red. 

 It has been found that seeds from yellow 

 pods are able to produce trees bearing 

 red pods, while those from the red pods 

 often produce trees bearing yellow pods. 



The generally light colour of the beans 

 and their form are characteristic of the 

 variety, while the bottle-necked appear- 

 ance of the pods is a leading feature by 

 which they may be recognized. This 

 type of Criollo cacao is not quite as 

 vigorous as are the Forastero and 

 Calabacillo types, and though a fairly 

 good bearer, does not yield as well as 

 those kinds. 



Venezuelan Criollo differs in form 

 from that of Trinidad, as the stalk end 

 is blunt and rounded instead of being 

 bottle-necked. The beans are larger in 

 size than those of Trinidad Criollo, and 

 differ somewhat in form : but like the 

 Trinidad kind, the beans when cut show 

 a white or nearly colourless interior. 



Specimens of this kind of Criollo cacao 

 grown in Trinidad have been produced 

 from seed obtained from one of the best 

 Venezuelan estates, The produce shows 

 considerable variation both in outside 

 colour and form of the pods, as well as 

 in the colour of the beans. They are 

 not proiific bearers, but the quality of 

 the produce is of the highest class, and 

 estates possessing this strain can obtain 

 high prices. 



This kind is also known under various 

 other names such as Caracas, Borborata, 

 etc., etc. 



