10 
tthf tropical agriculturist. 
[January i, 1892 . 
The contract system which prevails in Trinidad is 
probably more to blame for the mixed character of 
the fields than anything else. UUie contractor baa 
perhaps in the first instance planted from seeds 
supplied to him — all of one kind. In supplying first 
vacancies ho uses stronger and larger growing plants, 
and In places whore 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 loaves of all. For the sake of 
accuracy I have made special moasurements of some 
growing in the Royal Botanic Gardens and find that 
they vary from 9 to 21 inches in length, and range 
from to 6 inches in width. 
The loaves of the Calabacillo type are shorter and 
wider in comparison with tlieir 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 loaves 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 JIamaica, the plantations 
were destroyed by a “blust. ’ Mr. Morris mentions 
in his pamphlet that in Trinidad also tho trees wore 
visited by a blast “some time during tho last century.” 
Ho interprets the word “blast” as a “ blow or burri- 
cane,” but tho word in East Anglican broguo is also 
given another meaning. “Blast” is there 
svnonymous with “blight,” and this is confirmed by 
Walker’s Dictionary as follows: (to hlant- -to sfnkc 
with some siuidni jMgm). 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 1071 Jjong states 
there wore as many as sixty-iivo walks in bearing; 
while in 1882 it was only grown in isolated instances 
until the vaJue of the product was brought into notice 
by Mr* Morris, when tiie 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 1665, or sixteen years 
previous to the date mentioned. One species is 
mentioned by a writer (Martins) as having been 
found in Jamaica (2'he.ohroma siilveatns) but this would 
appear to need confirmation before being accepted aa 
fact. 
There appears to be little doubt, however, that 
Theohronm cacao is a native of the Northern teiTitorios 
of South America, and as the character of the 
flora of tho mainland is closely approached by that 
of Trinidad it Is quite possiblo tliat this species is 
indigenous to Trinidad, or w'as introduced at some 
remote time into tho island. 
Many writers agree that tho flavour of cacao is 
dependent upon the soil, and in this they are probably 
correct, but much must also depend upon the siuTound- 
ing conditions, viz. : moisture, exposure, and tempe- 
rature, in their respective order, and perhaps more 
is to bo attributed to these than to the soil, although 
all of them, it is freely admitted, may have a 
direct influence on flavour and quality. 
Bpon's Encyclopoodia gives Tlict^>^'Oina anfimtifolia, 
T. hicolort T. gut/anamn, T. inicrocUQXf, ocahjoliu, 
T. sj^eciosa^ T. atjlctutris as producing commercial cacao, 
but we cannot learn upon what authority. 
When travelling in Central America in 1885 1 found 
Tlief^^'oma bicolQr-, Humboldt and BondJand, indigenous 
in tho province of Veragua, United Btates 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 bo used in 
some manner by tho Indians. It has also the name 
of “ Indian chocolate ” and “ Wariba,” tho latter being 
the Indian name, and appears to suggest some 
connection with the “Wan” or wild hog, probably 
one of tho peccaries (DicotnUa) which are known to 
from gluud oa bAok a strosg'EjmoUing Uuid. 
-TtTDf 
It must be doubtful, therefore, if commercial cacao 
is produced by T. bicolor, and such a supposition 
would also throw some doubt upon any species pro- 
ducing commercial samples other than our Theofnvma 
cacao, L., though w’O do not think it impossible or 
improbable that they should do so, and would rather 
infer that it would oe possible by bringing them into 
cultivation in Trinidad, to be able to add to tho 
variety of our produce and perhaps to improve it by 
byhrinization with other species. 
The kernel of Wild, issaid by 
Don to be white, and good eating when fresh. Ho 
also says that tho seeds of 7'. hicoror are mixed with 
the seed of the common cacao (presumably T. cacao). 
According to Aublot’a iUiistrationa the pods of 
T/ieohroma goijaneatns 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. sjilresti'U, from a plate by the saiiio 
author, is small, smooth, yet still show-ing the five 
divisions of the pod by slight depression.s or lines on 
tho outside at equal distances from each other. The 
leaves aro small and suggestive of the ordinary form 
homo by “ Criollo.” The pod of T. Inc-olor. Humboldt, 
is woody in texture, hard and dry, and apecimens 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. 
» 
CHIN ES E CT NNA M ON. 
BY HKNHY HUMPHUKYS, I'lI.C., HONGKONG, 
It is generally supposed that Cliineso cinnamon 
is tho same thing as cassia, but there is reason to 
believe that this is not the case. One day I noticed 
our Chinese manager take a pioco 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 tiie matter, and although unable to 
identify tho “Chinese cinnamon ” plant with Ceylon 
cinnamon, owing to tho impossibility of obtain- 
ing the flowering branches, tho results of my 
inquiries tend to show that Chinese cinnamon dif- 
fers very materially from ordinary Cansia figtica, if 
only in tho 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 1 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 tho other 
hand the iodine tost gave a similar reaction to cassia. 
Owing to tliQ 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 (133j lb.) of cassia. 
A cold aqueous infusion of all six samples yielded 
with iodine a bluish-black coloration, but with JlgCU 
there was no evidence of tho presence of mucilago. 
The urotna of all six came near that of Ceylon 
cinnamon, but in sonio cases there w’as a pungency 
more consistent with the idea of their being derived 
from cassia. 
One important point, however, I have boon able 
to ascertain is, that “ Chinese cinnamon ” grows 
wild in Annam much further south than tho West 
River in the Kwangsi and Kwangtung provinces, 
where cassia is cultivated. 
The Chinese 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. 
Chinese cinnamon is never exported, owing to tho 
heavy prices the Chinese pay for it. There aro a 
good many varieties, all of which grow wild in An* 
nam, in tne neighbourhood of a mountain there, 
called Ching Fa. The meet expensive kinds ceme 
