70 



stroying most of its companions and burning a large strip of the 

 tender bark on its exposed side so that the bark died and fell off. 

 But being better protected than the other and having still three- 

 fourths of its bark left uninjured, it soon recovered and its stump 

 reveals how successfully it strove to heal the wood and grow to 

 maturity to perpetuate its species. — American Gardening. 



COCOA AND CHOCOLATE. 



In Trinidad little is known about the preparation of the 

 article known as "Cocoa" as sold upon the English market. The 

 word "Cocoa" is a corruption of the Spanish word "Cacao," and 

 had its origin in European markets. It is used to denote prepara- 

 tions of the Cacao bean in powder, sweetened or unsweetened as 

 "Cadbury's Cocoa," "Rowntrees' Cocoa," "Vi-Cocoa," etc., etc. 

 Such powders are seldom prepared in the countries where Cacao 

 grows, the article known as chocolate being almost exclusively 

 used in preference, except by Europeans who have become accus- 

 tomed to the preparations of their own countries, for whom a cer- 

 tain quantity is imported. In Trinidad a considerable quantity of 

 "chocolate" is made for local consumption. The word "choco- 

 late" is said to be of Mexican origin, and covers preparations from 

 the Cacao bean which solidify on cooling into cakes or bricks or 

 other moulded forms. 



We have, therefore, two names which cover preparations 

 made from Cacao beans, produced by the tree known as Theq- 

 broma Cacao L. 



Chocolate is made from the Cacao bean roasted and ground 

 to a paste, which hardens on cooling. This may be made sweet- 

 ened, or unsweetened, and as much as 40 to 60 per cent, of sugar 

 is added when made into confectioner}-, but less when intended 

 to be used for making a beverage. The paste may be made either 

 by hand on a flat piece of freestone, or it may be ground in mills 

 constructed for the purpose. The chief hardening ingredient is 

 the fatty matter the beans contain, known as cacao fat and used 



