Sept. t, 1894..] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
155 
Notwithstanding the progress which has taken 
place up to this date, and the exertions of Mr. Morris 
the cultivation of that bean is far from being in a 
condition which brings it to the front. Without 
doubt, the result obtained by the Botanical Depart- 
ment of Ceylon, which took the initiative just at the 
time that Jamaica was making experiments, has been 
far more important, and the consequence of this is 
that Ceylon cocoa is now valued at doub'e the price 
of that of Jamaica. In 1878 Ceylon exported only 
10 quintals, but from 1886 1887 16,658 quintals were 
exported. During the last few years little has been 
the progress made in Ceylon. 
Since my retirement from the 3otanical Departm-nt 
of Jamaica, I have principally resided in Columbia. 
During the first year I devoted myself to the cultiva- 
tion of the Peruvian bark, which cultivation is now 
paralized by the extraordinary low price of quinine; 
with all this the bark of the quina is without 
contradiction, the richest in the world. During niy 
stay in Columbia my exertion have tended to stimualte 
an interest in the cultivation of cocoa in all the 
localities that I have visited. In notes sent to the 
Government and pub'ished by it, I have also called 
the attention of the public to this industry, which 
fact demonstrates that for years I have been pre- 
occupied with the idea that this branch of Agriculture 
is one that should particularly draw the attention 
of landed proprietors in this country. 
To begin with, the favourable conditions of Colum- 
bia, by far exceed those of either Ceylon or Jamaica. 
Just recently, for example, I visited a region in which 
I found hundreds of square miles of uncultivated 
cocoa, whose state of spontaneous growth is one of 
the points cocoa growers, in other countries particu- 
larly, desire to know. 
Considering the unlimited agricultural resources of 
Columbia, it is truly a pity to see that so many 
energies have wasted themselves in political aspira- 
tions. Thi* remark is suggested to me by the interest 
I bear for all those belonging to the country ! How 
changed will Columbia be the day that the inclination 
of its inhabitants will tend, in the same way as in 
other fields of imitation, to unite with the great 
llepublic in the way of estimating the influence of 
agriculture as was manifested in Washington after 
the great revolution. 
"Peace being re-established the whole Union is 
enjoying the benefit of a governmental department 
destined to encourage what is the recognised basis 
of all industries, commerce and manufacturers. Under 
its influence those who cultivate the soil become a 
good deal more c'ear sighted and better, a torrent 
of light will be showered upon the work of nature 
in the economy of the vegetable products of the 
soil for our benefit and glory." 
Within the last few years the cultiva ion of coffee 
has made decided progress, the reason for this is 
that the landed proprietors and the producers have 
been stimulated by the high prices which coincided 
with the exorbitant rise in exchange. 
Should we withdraw coffee, there does not exist 
in the country any of her agricultural in dustry 
connected properly speaking, with commerce. 
The inipotance which is attributed to the inaugu- 
ration of another principal industry is th. n evident, 
and for the same reason, I here again take the 
liberty to draw your attention to the following extract, 
t*k-n from my notes published by the Government 
in the "Diario Oficial " dated 6th March last. 
"Cocoa— I place this amongst the first of the 
products which deserve the attention of the Govern- 
ment. The plant is indigenous here, and the article 
is iargely consumed in the Republic, besides as au 
article destined for exportation, it is to my opinion 
much more important than coffee. Unfortunately 
in various parts of the country it is in a most pitiful 
state of degeneration. In a note upon this and o her 
similar subjects published in the " D ario Ofiei>\l" 
of 7th November lS^, I referred to an insidious 
disease which affected cocoa trees in various parts 
of the country. In other countries many plants have 
been from time to time attacked by some disease or 
other, but without loss of time its causes were 
investigated. Here this industry is allowed to die 
out and cause a considerable loss to the country 
every year. In the same document I indicated the 
following as a probable way of' meeting the evil : 
"In all probability the most systematic and effi- 
cacious remedy would be to renovate all the plants 
selec'ing foreign seeds, thereby preventing the 
reproduction of plants arising from diseased trees. 
There wou'd be another powerful remedy in the way 
of grafting healthy tranches upon some variety of 
uncultivated cocoa." 
I take the liberty to restate my conviction that 
the importation of seeds to which I then referred is 
an important measure which ought to be adopted, 
and it gives me the greatest satisfaction in saying 
that I have demonstrated the practicability of import- 
ing the above mentioned seeds. The best authorities 
upon the cultivation of cocoa affirm that the beans 
retain their vital properties f>om 8 to 10 days only. 
On my return from England to this country in 
April last, I w nt via the Island of Trinidad in order 
to procure some coco* seeds. There I collected two 
barrels of pods. 
The steamer in which I was travelling went by 
way of Grenada, St. Lucia and Jamaica, staying 
several days in each place, and I reached Pena isa 
29 days after my departure from Tiinidad. Neverthe- 
less 80 % of the seeds germinated. I must also 
mention that I, at the same time, brought nutmeg 
seeds from Trinidad which germioated with ihe 
greatest facility, and I believe that these are 'he only 
nutmeg plants known in Columbia. 
Besides t' e utility of importing cocoa seeds as 
proposed by me, I take advantage of this opportunity 
to submit to Your Excellency's consideration another 
plan for the improvement of the cocoa cultivation. 
At present the cocoa which is cultivated in the 
different countries consists of various varieties of an 
original family (theobroma cocoa). This tree is also 
indigenous and grow wild in the plains of St. Martin, 
etc., The acquisition of a quantity of these seeds 
for purposes of cultivation would, if planted in the 
projected Government Botanical Gardens give, with- 
out doubt, important varieties, free from disease 
which would be a public boon of the highest conse- 
qu»nce. In this respect I take from one of my 
papers, an extract of what I wrote concerning the 
importance of the above for the c ultivators of wild 
cocoa, whom I met in Sierra Nevada. " In two of 
my letters published by the Columbian Government 
1 energetically advocated the introduction of seeds 
of the Triu dad variety of cocoa with the object of 
I improving the degenerated plants of the interior, 
j The result of my excursion in the Sierra Nevada, 
I as it is rendeied in that letter, annuls altogether 
! my former impression, as far as the convenience of 
importing those seeds is concerned. Today the 
conditions ar • differe it, the wild cocoa being the 
plant par excellence specially adapted for culti- 
vation in the Repub ic. 
" In those countries where this bean has become 
the principal industry, the production of each 
individual tree scarcely reaches the proportion of 
1* lb, I am satisfied that, by a careful cultivation of 
our own wild cocoa that proportion could be doubled 
without counting that in matters of approximate 
calculations I always prefer to reduo rather than 
to exaggerate. 
"The cocoa growers of Tolima, where yearly 
thousands of pounds of cocoa are g thered, obtain a 
I little over i lb per tree. For this same reason, th» 
renovation of the nurseries of the degenerated field 
in the interior, and the extension of the cultivation 
j with seeds from Sierra Nevada is a measure whose 
; importance can never be considered exaggerated. It 
is possible to fix a way of acquiring these precious 
seeds on a lar^e scale, and in view of obtaining 
this result, I may add that through my recommenda- 
tion, a person who is sowing cocoa in large propor- 
tions on his extensive banana fields near Santa 
Malta has provided the means of acquiring a quantity 
of seed of the wild type. 
