28 o 
tHE TROPJCAL A^PlCULtym§f. 
[October i, 1896. 
17,164 owt„ while the production of Trinidad alone 
was probably not far short of 125,000 cwt.* The 
general opinion appears to be that the superior quali- 
ty of Oeylon cacao is greatly due to the more careful 
and effective methods adopted for fermenting and 
curing the beans. The produce is said to be sent 
into the market in a bright and attractive condition 
and free from the dirt aud mucilage which too often 
spoils the appearance of West Indian cacao. Again 
the “soil and climatic conditions” in Ceylon are 
said to favour the production of cacao with a delicate 
flavour and good colour. There is, doubtless, some 
amount of truth underlying all these opinions, but 
none of them touch upon an important element in the 
inquiry, and that is the character of the plants yielding 
the produce. 
The cultivated forms of Theohroma cacao are broadly 
divided into two sorts, known in Spanish speaking 
countries of America as cacao Criollo and cacao 
Forastero. At one time cacao Criollo was largely, if 
not exclusively, cultivated in Trinidad, but owing to 
a disease (described as a ‘-blast”) which visited the 
plantation some time during the last century this sort 
was discarded in favour of a more robust and hardy 
sort, to which the name of Forastero (or foreign) 
cacao was given. The Criollo cacao is said to 
yield the Caracas cacao of Venezuela, but it is 
now comparatively rare in Trinidad and (Grenada, and 
only sparsely found in the other West India Islands. 
The cacao first introduced into Ceylon and the East 
Indies, probably by the Dutch in the beginning of 
the century was the criollo sort, and if the bulk of the 
Oeylon produce now received in this country is derived 
from criollo trees that would in a great measure account 
for its superior quality. A Trinidad planter writes : 
“ The Criollo Cacao is much better flavoured than 
any other, and requires but three days’ fermentation.” 
This aspect of the case has already been dealt with 
by Dr. Trimen, f.u.s., Director of the Botanical Gar- 
dens, Ceylon, in his Annual Report for the year 1885 
There has been some demand during the year for 
seed of the Trinidad varieties at Peracieniya, and the 
belief is general that these large growing kinds are 
hardier than the old Oeylon sort. Since the date of 
my last report I have arrived at the conolusion that 
the various ‘ pale-fruited ’ kind (see Report for 1882) 
sparingly cultivated in Ceylon, as well as all the strains 
of these new Trinidad plants, are to be referred to 
the ‘ Forestero ’ class of cacao. All of them, what- 
ever the colour of the pods — purple, dark-red, pick 
yellow, or palo-green — have seeds (‘beans’), which are 
flattish in form, and purple or violet internally, and 
become very dark after curing. Our old cacao, on the 
contrary, has the pod nearly always red (occasionally 
bright yellow), and the seeds are more rounded in 
shape, and always white or yellowish on section 
when fresh, becoming red after preparation for the 
market- As to the proper name of this latter sort, 
I may quote a portion of a letter which I addresed 
to the Observer newspaper, in November last, upon the 
subject ; — 
“ ‘ The fruiting of the selected and named varie- 
ties sent from Trinidad in 1880 and 1881 baa 
since shown that all these names (Ouudeamor, 
Cayenne, Verdilico, &o.) are applied to forms of what 
is known there as ‘Forastero’ cacao, and that none 
of the purple seeded kinds are of the ‘Criollo’ or 
‘Caracas’ variety. It will therefore be well to use 
for the future the name ‘Forastero ’ tor them here also. 
“ ‘ This, being the case the question naturally 
arises as to the ordinary red cacao of Oeylon. What 
variety is it; and is there anything like it grown 
elsewhere i* For some time I have been becoming 
more convinced that it is this that is the ‘ Caracas ’ 
or ‘Criollo’ cacao, and I might have taken stronger 
ground on the matter than 1 did in my last report. 
Mr. Morris of Jamaica, who has had good opportunity 
of investigation the cacaos, both in a wild and cul- 
tivated state tells me that he knows of ‘only one 
kind with the cotlyedous white or whitish, ‘and that 
is what is known as Caracas cacao.’ This, it is well 
' 1885 the actual production was 122,585 owt. 
known, is now a rare kind in the West Indies, and 
scarcely to be found on Trinidad estates, having 
died out, though formerly largely grown there. Evi- 
dently Oeylon obtained its plants before this change 
had occurred. The high quality of “ Ceylon cacao ” 
is thus explained, as well as its delicate temperament.” 
It only remains to point out that the preparation 
of Ceylon cacao differs in one important point from 
that generally adopted in Trinidad and other parts 
of tropical America. In Oeylon, after the beans arc 
fermented the pulp is carefully removed by washing, 
and the result is the production of a clean, bright 
looking sample, free from mucilage and discolouration 
of any kind. In the West Indies, after fermenta- 
tion, the beans are generally neither washed nor 
thoroughly rubbed. The mucilage is allowed to dry 
upon them. On some of the best estates in Trinidad 
the mucilage is carefully removed by rubbing, and some- 
times a red absorbent earth is used to assist the process as 
well as to give an attractive colour to the beans. The 
various methods adopted for fermenting and curing 
cacao in the West Indies ore well given in a series 
of Essays published in the Ar/ricultaral Record (the 
Journal of the Central Agricultural Board of Trinidad) 
for March 1890. The present position of Ceylon 
cacao in the London Market is discussed in the 
following letter, for which we are indebted to the 
courtesy of Messrs. Shand, Haldane & Co., of 24 Rood 
Lane, E. C. ; — 
Messrs. Lewis & Notes to Messrs. Shand, Had- 
DANE & Co. 
14, Mincing Lane, E. C., July 2nd, 1890. 
Dear Sirs, — ’Ilie following remarks may give some 
explanation of the peculiar position held by Ceylon 
cacao as compared with Trinidad. 
The comsumptive demand during recent years has 
caused manufacturers generally to give their attention 
to the making of a cocoa and a chocolate for which 
Ceylon is especially adapted on account of its bright 
chooolate-coloured break and mild flavour in preference 
to the strong flavoured Trinidad sought after a few 
years ago. 
The lightness and easy fracture of the shell through 
the removal of mucilage renders the loss in weight 
less to manufacturers and likewise facilitates the 
working. 
To the demand exceeding the supply (the largest 
output from Oeylon in one year being less than 
20,000 cwt), together with the fact that the crop is 
shipped almost entirely to this port, thus creating 
keen competition from the markets of all other manu- 
facturing countries, may be attributed the existing 
high prices. 
We may mention that should the output from Ceylon 
be, say 50,000 to 60,000 bags, of the same weight per 
bag as those from ’Trinidad, a range of prices much 
on a parity with that of good Tiinidad would follow. 
We have recently noticed a few parcels of Trini- 
dad cacao cured similar to Ceylon, in which the 
outward appearance has to some extent been obtained* 
but the light break and mild flavour are wanting. 
Any further information which yon may require we 
shall be happy to furnish.— Yours, &c., 
(Signed) Lewis and Noyes. 
The sample sent herewith is from North Matale 
estate, the property of the Ceylon Land and Produce 
Company, Limited. 
II I .11 m i — 
OysTESS IN' North Borneo. — I n ,a paper on 
this settlement in the British North Borneo 
Herald it is stated : — Edible oysters are also 
found on the rooks near the coast ; these are 
collected and dried by the natives and sold to the 
Chinese traders who export them to China. The 
same oyster does not object to make its home on 
the mangrove branches between high and low water, 
in fact oysters may be said to grow on trees. It 
would thus appoar that growing trees act as sub- 
stitutes for the fascines used in European oyster 
culture. It is added Keemah or clams are also 
collected, dried, and exported in the same tvay; 
