Cocoa. | 
tance of two feet from each other. At the end of two 
months the Cacao is planted. The smaller the plant is, the 
better. There are, nevertheless, soils subject to worms, 
where the small plants do not thrive ; but, excepting this 
particular, the small plants are preferable, because the large 
require more labour for their-transportation.” 
The 7heobroma knows no positive season for ripening its 
fruits, for they may be gathered during the whole year, but 
the planters havea certain period at which they gather them 
when they are proved by experience to be more solid and 
less liable to spoil. Each cocoa pod or fruit is fitted with 
seeds, some fruits containing as many as one hundred, and 
others not more than fifty. The fruits upon ripening 
change from a greento a deep yellow, and they are then ready 
for gathering ; for this purpose, the sharpest of thenegroes, or 
those accustomed tosuch work are employed,sothat onlythe 
ripe fruit may be gathered. When dry, the pods shrivel up 
slightly, and change to a deep brown. After gathering, 
they are carried to a place where the seeds are taken out, 
which operation is performed on a well swept floor, covered 
with green leaves; the pods are opened, and the seeds 
struck out by a piece of wood ; they are then cleaned of the 
pulpy matter surrounding them, and are subject toa process 
of fermentation, for the purpose of giving them a good 
colour previous to drying, which is done by spreading them 
out in the open air, or exposing them to the sun for about 
three weeks, when they are in a fit state for packing and. 
shipping. 
Cocoa as we all know appears in commerce in various 
forms, the purest is that from which the skins have been 
removed by fanning, after being roasted and the cotyledons 
simply crushed ; in this form the article is called “cocoa 
nibs.” Cocoa paste is the seed pulverised between heated 
rollers, and mixed with sugar, and chocolate in its various 
forms, is a similar preparation more or less flavoured with 
spices and vanilla; some of these preparations are of an 
exceedingly delicate flavour, as for instance the celebrated 
“Chocolat Menier,’ “Fry’s Victoria chocolate, &c.” That 
which is sold as soluble cocoa, flake, rock, and othervarieties, 
is the ground seeds mixed with sugar, starch, gum, &c. The 
method employed by the Indians of old for roasting and 
breaking the seeds was very similar to that adopted by us 
at the present time, except, that we add heat to our rollers, 
and move them by machinery, they were roasted in earthern 
pots, then cleaned of the husk, and bruised between two 
NEW SERIES.—VOL. I. Q 
