Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-03-31
Cocoa Tree.

The ancient McXicans cultivated the cocoa
tree, and with its seeds prepared infusions
similar to the chocolate Of modern times.
The use Of COCOA appears 70 have been INTRO
duced after the conquest into the other parts
of the continent, nevertheless, the cocoa tree
is indigenous in the hot and humid forests of
South America. The Indians still appear to
be ignorant of the profit that may be made OF
the seeds Of the cocoa tree, they only eat The
pulp Of fruit which surrounds them. Cocoa
was introduced into Europe by the Spaniards,
and in no long space Of time this production
of the New World became the object Of
very considerable traffic.
In the province Of Guayaquil, Mexico, they
plant the beans Of the Cocoa directly; in
Venezuela they prefer raising the plant in 4
nursery, which is always selected Of the most
fertile soil, and deply trenchcd. The seeds
are sown Immediately before the setting in OF
the rains, and termination takes place III
from eight TO ten days. In good soil, at two
years Of age the cocoa plantwil have attained
a height Of three feet, it is then pruncd by
having TWO Of its upper branches removed,
and is transplanted.
The tree seldom comes into flower under
thirty months old. Some planters always
destroy these first flowers, and never suffer
There are few aborescent plants which have
so small flower, and especially flower so
disproportional to the size Of its fruit, as the
cocoa tree. The diameter Of a bud, meas
urcd at the moment Of its expansion
is no more than OBJ Of an English
inch. The flowers appear principally upon
the trunk Of the tree itself, they rarely show
themselves beyond the middle Of the larger
branches, occasionally they appear upon the
roots which happen to be above the ground.
In the valley Of Del Tuy, in the ncighbor-
hood of Pucrta Cabello, the cocoa trees arc
set at the distance OF about sixteen feet.
Once the cocoa tree is in the plantation, 1t Is
regularly pruncd to prevent its branches be-
coming too numerous. From the fall of the
flower to the complete ripcness of the fruit
there clapses an interval Of four months.
The fruit is OF au elongated form, slightly
bent, and terminated i'll point its length Is
about nine inches, and its greatest diameter,
which is near the point of attachment, is from
six To seven inches, externally, the cocoa
nut pod is furrowed longitudinally. Its color
varies from a grecniSh white to Il reddish
violet, the latter being the more common
tint. Internally the flesh OF the fruit is gen.
orally white, although it has sometimes
rose color; it is sweet and acid, and OF very
agreeable flavor. The seeds are generally
twenty five in number in each fruit, and at
first are white, they are oleaginous and slight
ly bitter, in drying they acquire brown tint.
The cocoa tree appears to yield most abund-
anty when it is about twelve years Of age.
An acre Of ground, which in good plantations
will be set with one hundred and seventy
trees, produces in a middling year about 1888
POUNDS weight; one hundred pounds OF fresh
beans give from forty-fve to fifty pounds Of
dry and marketable cocoa.
Cocoa beans contain about 43 rcr cent. of
oil or fat the presence of large quantity Of
albumen and fatty matter in cocoa explains
its highly nutritious qualities. 1t is indeed
one Of the most wholesome restorative artI-
ceS Of sustcnancc known. Fernando CortcS
WAS perhaps guilty OF exaggeration when he
said. tnat he who mas taken cup of choco-
late may march the rest oi the day without
other allneut.