io 
The contract system which prevails in Trinidad is 
probably more to blame for the mixed character of 
the fields than anything else. The contractor has 
perhaps in the first instance planted from seeds 
supplied to him — all of one kind. In supplying first 
vacancies he uses stronger and larger growing plants, 
and In places where the plant has refused to grow 
after planting twice or thrice, he will (rather than 
lose a count of a tree) put in a plant of the strong- 
growing Calabacillo. 
In length the leaves of Criollo vary from 5 to 12 
inches and from 2 to 4 inches in breadth. Forastero 
cacao gives the largest leaves of all. For the sake of 
accuracy I have made special measurements of some 
growing in the Royal Botanic Gardens and find that 
they vary from 9 to 21 inches in length, and range 
from 2J to 6 inches in width. 
The leaves of the Calabacillo type are shorter and 
wider in comparison with their length than either 
Criollo or Forastero. 
It must be understood, however, that these mea- 
surements are taken from extreme forms, and that 
the nearer the trees approach other varieties, so 
also do the leaves vary in size and shape. 
Cacao is said to have been cultivated largely in 
Jamaica some two hundred years ago, but according 
to Long, in his History of Jamaica, the plantations 
were destroyed by a " blast." Mr. Morris mentions 
in his pamphlet that in Trinidad also the trees were 
visited by a blast " some time during the last century." 
He interprets the word "blast" as a " blow or hurri- 
cane," but the word in JSast Anglican brogue is also 
given another meaning. "Blast" is there 
synonymous with "blight," and this is confirmed by 
Walker's Dictionary as follows: (to blast — to strilce 
iciih some sudden jilacjue) . Either interpretation would 
however fully account for the destruction of plan- 
tations, especially when taken in conjunction with 
the high rate of duties which was imposed on the 
article in England at about the same time. What- 
ever the cause, the cultivation of cacao in Jamaica 
received a wonderful check, for in 1671 Long states 
there were as many as sixty-five walks in bearing ; 
while in 1882 it was only grown in isolated instances 
until the value of the product was brought into notice 
by Mr. Morris, when the cultivation became largely 
increased. The introduction to Jamaica was probably 
effected by the Spaniards as the English only came 
into possession of that island in 1655, or sixteen years 
previous to the date mentioned. One species is 
mentioned by a writer (Martins) as having been 
found in Jamaica { I'heohroiaa sylveatris) but this would 
appear to need confirmation before being accepted as 
fact. 
There appears to be little doubt, however, that 
Theobroma cacao is a native of the Northern territories 
of South America, and as the character of the 
flora of the mainland is closely approached by that 
of Trinidad it is quite possible that this species is 
indigenous to Trinidad, or was introduced at some 
remote time into the island. 
Many writers agree that the flavour of cacao is 
dependent upon the soil, and in this they are probably 
correct, but much must also depend upon the surround- 
ing conditions, viz. : moisture, exposure, and tempe- 
rature, in their respective order, and perhaps more 
is to be attributed to these than to the soil, although 
all of them, it is freely admitted, may have a 
direct influence on flavour and quality. 
Spon's Encyclopu3dia gives Theobroma angusiifolia, 
T. bicoloi; T. rjuijaneusis, T. inicrocarpa, T. ovalifolia, 
T. sjieciosa, T. s;/lvcstris as producing commercial cacao, 
but we cannot learn upon what authority. 
When travelling in Central America in 1885 I found 
Theobroma bicolor, Humboldt and Bondland, indigenous 
in the province of Veragua, United States of Columbia. 
It was known as " tiger cacao," so named from the 
rank smell of the seeds. It is not in general use 
by the inhabitants, though it is said to be used in 
some manner by the Indians. It has also the name 
of "Indian chocolate" and " Wariba," tho latter being 
the Indian name, and appears to suggest some 
connection with tlio " Wari " or wild hog; probably 
one of the peccaries ( JJicoli/lcsJ which arc known to 
^tait Irom a Eland ou tho a stroug-smelling fluifl. 
It must be doubtful, therefore, if commercial cacao 
is produced by T. bicohr, and such a supposition 
would also throw some doubt upon any species pro- 
ducing commercial samples other than our Theobroma 
eaeao, L., though we do not think it impossible or 
improbable that they should do so, and would rather 
infer that it would he possible by bringing them into 
cultivation in Trinidad, to be able to add to the 
variety of om- produce and perhaps to improve it by 
hybridization with other species. 
The kernel of Theobroma e/ui/anensis, Wild, is said by 
Don to be white, and good eating when fresh. He 
also says that the seeds of T. bicohr are mixed with 
the seed of the common cacao (presumably T. cacao). 
According to Aublet's illustrations the pods of 
Theobroma ^ fjuijancnsis are small and oval, distinctly 
marked with five raised ribs, and the leaves are much 
like those of T. cacao but more cordate at the base. 
The fruit of T. sijlrestris, from a plate by the same 
author, is small, smooth, yet still showing the five 
divisions of the pod by slight depressions or lines on 
the outside at equal distances from each other. The 
leaves are small and suggestive of the ordinary form 
borne by "Criollo." The pod of T. bicohr, Humboldt, 
is woody in texture, hard and dry, and specimens can 
be kept for any length of time. I have a specimen, 
collected in 1885, in the herbarium of this department, 
and also specimens of the leaves and flowers. 
■ . 
CHINESE CINNAMON. 
BY HENHY HUMPHREYS, PH.C, HONGKONG, 
It is generally supposed that Chinese cinnamon 
is the same thing as cassia, but there is reason to 
believe ttiat this is not the case. One day I noticed 
our Chinese manager take a piece of bark out of 
his pocket, cut a bit off, and put in his tooth. He 
explained that it was cinnamon, and that it was 
used to stop his toothache. I looked at the bark 
and asked him if it was not cassia he meant. He 
smiled complacently and remarked, " One does not 
pay 5 dollars an ounce for cassia." I have since 
investigated the matter, and although unable to 
identify the " Chinese cinnamon " plant with Ceylon 
cinnamon, owing to the impossibility of obtain- 
ing the flowering branches, the results of my 
inquiries tend to show that Chinese cinnamon dif- 
fers very materially from ordinary Cassia liffnea, if 
only in the fact that it is certainly obtained from 
very old wild trees, whereas the cassia of commerce 
is obtained from cultivated trees only (Ford). 
I found the six samples I worked on and which 
I have sent to Mr. Holmes for further investigation, 
to differ from cassia in appearance, taste and smell, 
and to contain little or no mucilage. On the other 
hand the iodine test gave a similar reaction to cassia. 
Owing to the costly nature of the bark, I was able 
to experiment only on very small quantities. 
The Chinese call their cinnamon bark by different 
names and pay more in some cases for an ounce 
of " cinnamon " than a picul (ISSj lb.) of cassia. 
A cold aqueous infusion of all six samples yielded 
with iodine a bluish-black coloration, but with HgOli 
there was no evidence of the presence of mucilage. 
The aroma of all six came near that of Oeylon 
cinnamon, but in some cases there was a pungency 
more consistent with the idea of their being derived 
from cassia. 
One important point, however, I have been able 
to ascertain is, that "Chinese cinnamon" grows 
wild in Annam much further south than the West 
River in the Kwangsi and Kwangtung provinces, 
where cassia is cultivated. 
The Chiuese adopt the common name of Kwei for 
both cinnamon and cassia, but distinguish the two 
by an additional name ; for instance, ordinary cin- 
namon is Jan Kwei and ordinary cassia Kwei pi. 
Chiuese cinnamon is never exported, owing to the 
heavy prices the Chinese pay for it. There are a 
good many varieties, all of which grow wild in An- 
nam, in the neighbourhood of a mountain there, 
callecl Ohing Fpi. The mpst expensive kinds come 
