The herald., 1896-08-12

Total Observation-Disclosures. 100
The proportion of fat is so great that
facturers, as the natural cocoa is too oily
for most stomachs to digest. One firm. at
least. however, has made speciality of ex
ira rich cocoa and by treating the fat to a
mixture of pancreatin, ETC., has been able
to prepare .digestible cocoa without re-
moving any Oil.
one must go to the tropics. The finest CO.
Goa comes from Caracas, Venezuela, though
excellent beans come from Trinidad, Quay
quill. Surinam and Aureiba. Cocoa is
grown. more or less, in Honduras, Mica
ragua, Guatemala. Mexico, Peru, Ecuador.
Colombia, Guiana and Brazil. 1t loves
the tropics between the fifteenth parallels,
though 1T is raised within the twentyffth
parallels, and at any level under 5000 feet.
The trees are about 1S feet high and bear
glossy leaves, shaped much like the laurel,
and growing principally in tufts at the ends
of branches or along the trunk The clus-
ters of small, star-shaped blossoms spring
directly from the large boughs or trunk.
A single pod of beans is usually produced
from a cluster of flowers. 1t is seven to
each holding five to ten beans. While. a
tree will begin to bear when four years old,
| it is quite tender and needs careful nursing;
| watering and protection from cold wind and
| excessive heat. AT eight years they come
| in full bearing and live for nearly half a
| century. As the trees blossom and fruit
continuously, the beans may be gathered
at any time, but it is usual to harvest them
sne AND not sbec Thf to ES
American erica producers. The following figures
obtained at the New York custom house
show how extensive are the importations:
Year Yea P9unds; is, ss, Valuat5l9nhs; ~ az ehs
1881 ....................Zl,oS III, oSaolU olo,5!V
1Ss2 ................2 Sy6 0ol 0o5 S'ddSa'9l22
1875 .................... a. toV,Voo f,Sit -
1895 ta o:ss 2s272sls ;Ssss ,s s1s1Tss g;,tS
OF 2cants pound. light impost that does
not prevent large importations as is shown
by the custom house record. the amount
s47s 15ss4 The importation has not in
creased greatly since 1891.
Chocolates are merely combinations of
cocoa and sugar. with some f1avoring, al
lowed to cool in forms. and sold as solid
cakes to be shaved up before using. They
generally contain more oil than cocoa SOLID
in tins, and the cheaper sorts are mixed
with starch, etc.
The by-products of cocoa are of consid-
cradle value GoSoa butter % tbe beng sn higniy ss
ointment for the nursery IN place OF vase
line. etc. Cocoa butter will not stain nor
Pee ranca nefg prooI Is used largely
in making suppositories, for oiling guns
and for various uses in the arts, and in max
sells al 80 to 35 cents pound wholesale.
The cocoa shells are also sold in many
stores as a cheap substitute for cocoa, be-
principle. The use of cocoa. it may, be
seen, has marked advantage over that
of tea or coffee. These beverages are mere
infusions or decoctions, containing little
nutrment, and as a rule more of hurtful
ingredients. in the way of tannic acid or
narcotic stimulants. Cocoa, on the con-
trary, being usually made with at least
half milk, has the extra nutriment of the
milk to begin with. 1t then has valuable
nitrogenous elements, considerable starch
and more or less of cocoa fat, all highly
nutritious.
Columbus. who introduced it in Spain,
where it is largely used at the present time;
1t is mentioned in Prescott's Conquest of
interspersed with corn and potatoes on the
the foothills of the Andes. 1t was the ia
vorite beverage Of Emperor MonteZuma
of the kinds of money.-New York Tribune.