C A C 
The Chocolate-trees, if planted on a good foil, and 
properly taken care of, will continue vigorous and 
fruitful twenty-five or thirty years : therefore the 
charge of cultivating a plantation of thefe trees, muff 
be much lefs than that of Sugar ; for although the 
ground between the rows of plants will require to be 
often hoed and wrought, yet the firft working of a 
ground to make a new plantation of Sugar, Indigo, 
Caffada, & c. is a larger expence than the after-work- 
ings .are. Befides, Sugar-canes require as much la- 
bour in their cultivation, as any plant whatever ; and 
fince the infects which deftroy the Sugar-canes, have 
Spread fo much in the Britifh colonies, nothing is a 
more uncertain crop than Sugar •, tor which reafon, 
I think it would be greatly worth thofe planters care, 
who are poffeffed of proper lands for the Chocolate- 
trees, to make fome finall trials at leaft, to be con- 
vinced of the truth of this fad. 
The leaves of thefe trees being large, make a great 
litter upon the ground when they fall ; but this is 
not injurious, but rather of fervice to the trees ; for 
the furface of the ground being covered with them, 
they preferve the moifture in the ground, and prevent 
its evaporating •, which is of great ufe to the young 
tender roots, which are juft under the furface ; and 
when the leaves are rotten, they may be buried in 
digging the ground, and it will ferve as good manure. 
Some planters let the pods, in which the Chocolate 
is inclofed, lie and rot in a heap (after they have 
taken the nuts out) which they alfo fpread on the 
ground inftead of dung. Either of thefe manures are 
very good, provided they are well rotted before they 
are laid on the ground; and great care fhould be 
had, that no vermin fhould be carried on the plan- 
tation with the dung. 
Befides the ordinary care of digging, hoeing, and 
manuring the plantations of Chocolate-trees, there is 
alfo another thing requifite in order to their doing 
well ; which is, to prune the decayed branches off, 
and to take away fmall ill placed branches, wherever 
they are produced. But you fhould be cautious how 
this work is performed ; for there fhould be no vi- 
gorous branches fhortened, nor any large amputa- 
tions made on thefe trees ; becaufe they abound with 
a foft, glutinous, milky juice, which will flow out for 
many days whenever they are wounded, which greatly 
weakens the trees. However, fuch branches whofe 
extreme parts are decayed, fhould be cut off, to pre- 
vent the infe&ion from proceeding farther ; and fuch 
branches as are much decayed, fhould be taken off 
clofe to the item of the tree ; but this fhould be per- 
formed in dry weather, foon after the crop of fruit 
is gathered. 
Some people may perhaps imagine, that what I have 
diredted, is a tedious laborious work, and not to be 
performed, by a few flaves: but this is a great miftake, 
for I have been credibly informed, that five or fix 
negroes will cultivate a plantation of ten thoufand of 
thefe trees, provided they are properly inftrufited; 
which is a fmall number, when compared to the 
quantity neceffary to cultivate a Sugar plantation of 
the like extent of ground. And when the profits of 
both are compared, there will be a great difference : 
for, fuppoflng we fet the price of five fhillings per 
annum, for the produce of each tree, when grown, 
(which I am of opinion is very moderate, confidering 
what has been related-,) then a plantation of ten 
thoufand trees will produce twenty-five hundred 
pounds a year ; which, managed by fix or feven ne- 
groes, without the 'expence of furnaces, &c. is a 
much greater profit than, I think, can be drawn from 
any other production, 
In order to cultivate this plant in Europe, by way of 
curiofity, it will be neceffary to have the nuts planted 
into boxes of earth (in the countries where they grow) 
foon after they are ripe ; becaufe, if the nuts are 
fent over, they will lofe their growing quality before 
they arrive. Thefe boxes fhould be placed in a 
fhady fituation, and muft be frequently watered, in 
order to forward the vegetation- of the nuts. In 
C A C 
about a fortnight after the nuts are planted, the plants' 
will begin to appear above ground ; when they fhould 
be carefully watered in dry weather, and protected 
from the violent heat of the fun, which is very in- 
jurious to thefe plants, efpecially while they are 
young : they fhould alfo be kept very clear from 
weeds ; which, if fuffered to grow in the boxes, will 
foon overbear. the plants and deftroy them. When 
the plants are grown, throng enough to tranfport, they 
fhould be (hipped and placed where they may be 
fcreened from ftrong winds, fait water, and the violent 
heat of the fun.- During their paffage they muft be 
frequently refrefhed with water; but it muft not be 
given them in great quantities, left it rot the tender 
fibres of their roots, which will deftroy the plants ; 
and when they come into a cool latitude, they muft 
be carefully protected from the cold, when they will 
not require fo frequently to be watered : for in a 
moderate degree of heat, if they have gentle water- 
ings once a week, it will be fufficient. _ 
When the plants arrive in England, they fhould be 
carefully taken out of the boxes, and each tranfplant™ 
ed into a feparate pot filled with light rich earth, and 
plunged into a moderate hot-bed of tanners bark, 
being careful to cover the glafies in the heat of the 
day, to fcreen the plants from the fun : they muft 
alfo be frequently watered, but it muft be done with 
caution, not to rot their roots. In this hot-bed the 
plants may remain till Michaelmas, when they muft 
be removed into the bark-ftove, and plunged into 
the tan, in the warmeft part of the ftove. During 
the winter feafon the plants muft be frequently re- 
frefhed with water, but it muft be given to them in 
fmail quantities, yet in fummer they will require a 
more plentiful ihare. Thefe plants are too tender to 
live in the open air in this country, even in the hotteft 
feafon of the year ; therefore muft constantly remain 
in the bark-ftove, obferving in very warm weather to 
let in a large ihare of freih air to them, and in winter 
to keep them very warm. As the plants inereafe in 
bulk, they fhould be fhifted into larger pots ; in do- 
ing of which, there muft be particular care taken not 
to tear or bruife their roots, which often kills the 
plants ; nor muft they be placed in pots too large, be- 
caufe that is a flow, but fure death to them. The 
leaves of thefe plants muft be frequently wafhed to 
clear them from filth, which they are lubjeft to con- 
tract by remaining conftantly in the houfe ; and this 
becomes an harbour for fmall infeCts, which will in- 
feft the plants, and deftroy them, if they are not 
timely wafhed off. If thefe rules are duly obferved, 
the plants will thrive very well, and may produce 
flowers in this climate : but it will be very difficult to 
obtain fruit from them ; for, being of a very tender 
nature, they are fubjeCt to many accidents in a cold 
country. 
CACHRYS. Lin. Gen. Plant. 304. 
The Characters are, 
It hath an umbellate d flower, the great or general umbel 
being compofed of many [matter ; the involucrum of both 
is compofed of many narrow fpear-fhaped leaves ; the great 
umbel is uniform. "The flower hath five fpear-fhaped. '* 
ereEl, equal petals. It hath five Jingle fiamina the length 
of the petals, terminated by Jingle fummits. The turbi- 
nated germen is [Mated under the receptacle , fupporting 
two Jlyles , crowned by roundtfb ftigma. Id he empalement 
afterward becomes a large, oval , blunt fruit, dividing in 
two parts, each having one large fungous feed , convex on 
one fide, and plain on the other. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond feCtion 
of Linnaeus’s fifth clafs, intitled Pentandria pigyma, 
the .flower having five ftamina and twoffiyles. 
The Species are, 
1. Cachrys ( Trifidus ) foliis bipinatis, foliolis linearibus 
trifidis, feminibus laevibus. Cachrys with bipinnated 
leaves , whofe lobes are linear, and a fmooth fruit. Ca- 
. chrys femine fungofo laevi, foliis ferulaceis. Mor. 
Umb. 62. 
2. Cachrys ( Sicula ) foliis bipinnatis, foliolis linearibus 
aeutis, feminibus fulcatis hifpidis. Lin. 5 p, 355. Ca- 
ll 11 r chrys 
