Wichita eagle., 1888-06-21
COFFEE AND COCOA.
THE PEOPLE, CUSTOMS AND PRO-
DUCTS OF GUATEMALA

why Cocoa Trees Need More Caro- Than
a Cofee Plantation-Bad Indians and
Their Ways-Ths Art Of Lying-Pie-
turesaue Dress
The part of Guatemala we are now in is
called the COSTA Cuca, and from San
Sebastian to San Felipe. ten miles away
and near the mountains. the road passes
through succession OF coffee plantations.
To one not familiar with it. It would I'D
pear to be bright. fresh leaved tree Of .
rather rich and glossy green, but with its
limbs covered with a parasitical green
growth resembling small acorns, which
Illusion Is dispelled when the regular
rows Of trees are seen and the careful cul-
tivation of the ground noted While
great care must be taken of the coffee
tree, 1t is not circumstance to that re-
quired by the cacao plant, which much
resembles it. Cacao, or In English cocoa,
the source Of chocolate is more abun-
other portion OF this hemisphere, and the
a price in Guatemala city of $1S per
seen that it is valuable crop. The cocoa
of Guatemala is q much finer variety and
sells at S35 per carga, right here in the
country, but the amount raised Is not
sufficient for home consumption, and but
little Of it finds its way into the outside
world
The plant has so many natural enemies
that many fnqueros are deferred from at
;@s i,
planted from the seeds, which are no
sooner put in the ground than large ant
searches for them and ruins many; when
the tree appears and is about three feet
tau, deer, attracted by the richness of the
Leaf, risk their lives for feed of it; when
these dangers are past and the fruit ap-
pears, squirrels come to eat it in large
numbers and any decent sized cacaotal
must have two huntsmen to kill squirrels
Thus it may be seen that chocolate is q
universal favorite. During this time the
ground must be as well weeded and
cleaned as Chinaman's kitchen garden
And in addition to this each cocoa tree
requires madre or mother, which Is
shade tree planted for its own particular
use. With such great care necessary, it
is not strange that many prefer coffee
planting
ANOTHER VIEW OF IT.
And 1t occurs to me, how few who sit
slipping Maillard's or Members chocolate
ever give thought or ever know Of the
immense labor of it's productionl On the
other hand it has it's advantages, for
while coffee tree is fairly on the down
grade to worthlessness after bearing eight
years, the cocoa tree is said to bear
abundantly for seventy-fve years, and
even more Some cacaotals near the
frontier of San Salvador. are so old that
the oldest Indians in the vicinity testify
that they were furnishing plantations
when they were children. and the trees
bear as well today as ever The coffee
estates near San Felipe were nearly all
planted at the same time. every available
space was utilized, consequently they all
failed at the same time. and San Felipe,
from being thriving busy town. became
but place to live in. and | failed to see
its attractions even in that respect When
the coffee trees failed many fnqueros
planted sugar cane. This requires, from
planting to maturity, only nine months.
but is not so profitable as coffee.
The cocoa fruit as it appears on the
tree is pear shaped green mass about
not SO large as an average pineapple. The
cells. about twenty each containing one
cocoa berry Children and women are
employed to prepare it for market, and it
is not sight which would induce one to
be anxious to drink the cocoa he has seen
cleaned Each berry is surrounded in its
cell by sweet, pasty brown and greasy
substance which the Indians like, SO each
berry goes to an Indians mouth. where
the sweet coating is sucked off and
chewed; but this in reality does not af-
feet the berry, because under the brown
paste there is parchmentlike shell which
Is impervious to the Indians saliva, and
comes off only in the roasting, leaving the
inside meat pure.
SOMETHING ABOUT BAD INDIANS.
A marked difference Is apparent between
the true Indian of the Indian town and
the one who has had much contact with
whites and ladinos. The former is always
respectful and polite and he is a natural
gentleman He never approaches you to
speak without removing his hat and bow
ing low and he never retires without ex-
cusing himself until he may return The
latter is usually disrespectful and Of an
insolent disposition-eager to take every
undue advantage of his masters leniency
and has to be taught by the generous use
of club. The ordinary feelings Of the
human heart are unknown to him You
can govern him, and govern him wen, by
simply causing him to fear you
The art Of lying is unknown IN the
United States when compared with the
state of perfection it has reached among
some Of these Indian tribes. You may tell
an individual in your employ to do GER
tain thing. but you must accompany him
to see that he does it. because if he does
not feed Ike doing It he viii come back
and lie about It, Hit one Of them with
your fist or kick him out Of your house,
and he will complain to the nearest al
calde, and win have twenty witnesses to
swear that they saw you beat the CON-
plainant over the head with q club until
he lay tnsensible In his own blood. and
this though they may have been miles
AWAY at tho time