Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-03-27


public benefactors, because there wouldn't
be enough to go around if they didn't
bring III their beans, peas, and chicory.
GREAT VALUE OF THE COCOA CHOP.
Cocoa, the chocolate bean, is an even
more profitable crop than coffee, and its
price Is hxed-almost as fixed as that of
gold. In some portions of the country
cocoa beans are still used as legal tender,
and In many of the smaller towns Gus
toners at market have to take them in
lieu OF small change, as they use rolls of
bread In Ecuador. Coffee was introduced
into the country from Arabia by the Fran
ciscan monks, but cocoa was indigenous
to the soil and was used in large quanti-
ties by the Indians for food at the time of
the discovery. 1t was not liked by the
Spanlards at first, but was introduced in
France by the Franciscans, who were al
ways very enterprising fellows, and the
French cooks at once adopted it into great
favor. Cardinal Richelieu is said to have
been the first chocolate drinker of any
fame and to have set the fashion of us
ing it.
There are two kinds, the native cocoa,
called FL Criollo and an imported plant
called FL Trinitario. that was brought to
the country from Trinidad and others of
the West India islands. The former is of
greatly superior quality and is scarce. Not
more than five or six thousand bags are
raised annually, and it is worth from S32
to s35 gold a bag of 100 pounds. Of the
Trinidad variety about hundred thous-
$50 a bag. The native plant requires
peculiar soil aud care and grows best in
the hottest and most uuhealthful regions.
6 that fhprp 1S -
cultivation. The cocoa plantations are
found all along the coast of Venezuela and
are more profitable than coffee on account
of their requiring less attention, as well
as because of the greater value of the
crop.
IN THE COCOA BELT.
While cocoa can be successfully cultivat-
ed under minimum temperature of 70 de-
gree Fahrenheit, the cocoa tree, for proper
development and remunerative crops, re-
quires temperture of at least 80 degrees
Fahrenheit; hence the area of cocoa belt is
comparatively restricted Besides the con-
ditions of temperature this crop needs
moist soil and humid atmosphere, and so
the land along the coast of the Caribbean
sea, sloping from the mountain tops to the
shore, believed by the numerous rivulets
that course down the valleys, are found to
be, mall respects, well adapted to the prof
liable cultivation of cocoa. And while
the lands in the interior possessing facili-
ties for irrigation may be said to be equal
ly as good for the purpose, yet the absence
OF roads and the consequently difficult
transportation of production on the backs
OF donkeys over rugged mountain paths
materially reduces the profits on the crop
before it reaches the market
cocoa Dlanfa tiop 1S cot IN o,,ito tho
same manner as coffee orchard, except
that the young stocks may be transplanted
from the nursery after two months growth
No preparation Of the soil is deemed neces-
sary nd no manures are applied. The
young trees are planted about fifteen feet
equidistant, which will accommodate 200
trees to the acre. Between the rows and
at like spaces are planted rows of the
bacuara tree, that serves to shade the soil
as well as to shield the young trees from
the torrid sun. Small permanent trenches
must be maintained from tree to tree
throughout the entire length of the rows,
so that, at least one in each week, the
stream, descending from the mountains,
may be turned into these little channels,
and bear needful moisture to trees and soil.
At the age of five years the plantation be-
gins to bear fruit, and annually yield two
crops, that ripening in June being termed
the corn of San Juan, and that maturing
at Christmas being known as the crop of
La Navidad. The average age to which
the tree attains, under proper care, may be
estimated at forty years, during which
period it will give fair to full crops of
fruit; but, of course, it must be understood
must be set from time to time to replace
hot 1o Id
After careful inquiry it may be safely stat
ed that the average crop of the cocoa plan
tation at ten years of age, and under pro-
per state of cultivation, will amount to
five or six hundred pounds ali acre.
THE FRUIT OF THE COCOA.
The fruit or seed of the cocoa in form,
size, and color is quite similar to the al
mond. These seeds, to the number of sixty
or eighty. are incased in pod that, except
In color, is the counterpart Of young
mushmelon, being elongated and ribbed in
the same manner. It's color, when green,
is like that Of the eggplant, but on ripen-
ing 1t assumes reddish hue. peculi-
arity of the cocoa is that bears fruit from
the ground up" the trunk of the tree yield
ing fruit as well as the branches. Upon
ripening the pods are gathered from the
trees and heaped in piles on the ground,
where they are left for some days to fer
ment, after which they burst open, when
the seed must be sheled out. After light
exposure to the sun, during which time
great care must be taken to protect them
from the rain, they are sacked and ready
for the market.
RUBBISH EATEN BY AMERICANS.
The good people down there say that all
the best cocoa gees to Europe and not a
pound Of the E. Crjollo to the United States
They say, too, that we eat the miserable
product of Mexico, Brazil, and the Central
American states, which does not approach
In quality the Venezuelan fruit, and even
then our manufactures adulterate it so
that it does not taste naturally And it
ference between piece of Venezuelan
chocolate and piece of Mexican or Brazil
ian. 1t is an actual fact that you can buy
priced retail stores for about half the money
that is charged you at the Caracas factor
les and the retailers charge about 81 for
1T. You can get superior article for 80
cents, and the ordinary makes are so cents
a pound. None can be had less than that,
while In the United States it can be
bought at all groceries for 25, 30 and 40
cents a pound The Caraquenians say
that our manufacturers can not possibly
produce an honest cake of chocolate for
that price, but adulterate it with pipe-clay,
-four, and other foreign substances Will
liam E. Curtis.
Jumped and Was Killed.
KEARNEY, Neb., March 24-The Mid
wow bo+al b,,rnnJ 4l,,c 49,