LOCAL VARIATIONS AND DETAILS.--T1108e chiefly worthy of notice are the following :— Afrioa.—Some very fine cocoa has been sent from Monrovia, in Guinea, and fetched the highest price of any in the market.
Bolivia.—The cocoa growing on the banks of the Marnor6 is equal, if not superior, to Maravilla oar Caracas, and may be exported in large quantities when the railway is sufficiently extended. At present, every trader to Para takes a full load of cocoa in hide seroons, and finds a ready sale for the article, as it is so much better than that grown in Brazil.
Bourbon.—In this island, there are about fifty acres under cocoa cultivation. The product is of good quality, being of the Cargeas description ; it used to be grown in connection with coffee.
Brazil.—The plant is indigenous to the districts of Valencia, Camanu, and Rheas, in the province of Para, and is very abundant in the neighbourhood of the Amazon, Madeira, and Salimoes rivers. Throughout large tracts the plant grows wild ; but its culture is steadily increasing. Near the Layes rapids, on the Madeira river, wild cocoa trees are exceptionally abundant, and produce fruit of very superior quality. It would need very little labour to organize an excellent plantation here. The chief supplies come from Para ; the cultivation is being extended also southwards to Bahia, and even to Rio Janeiro. The exports fluctuate greatly ; this is to be attributed chiefly to floods prevent ing tbe harvest. The cultivation in this country is inarked by great carelessness; no nurseries are formed for the young plants, and the only shade provided appears to be that of bananas and plantains ; the ripe pods are knocked off the trees, and piled iu heaps on the gTound for fermenting; after 3-4 days, the pods are opened, and the extracted beans are spread to dry on the ground, or on mats. The dual harvests take place in December-January and May-June, the latter being the more abundant. The climate seems to be peculiarly suited to the tree, for in spite of severe floods, and oareless culture, or no culture at all, it flotuisbes exceedingly, and continues prolific for 50-60 years.
Cayenne.—The extent of land under cocoa in Cayenne does not exceed about 650 acres, the exports, in 1874, being less than 600 cwt. The product is dried in the suu, or by currents of air, and has a softness of character which renders it valuable to mix with the drier, aromatic, Cardcas growth, for purposes of chocolate manufacture.
Ceylon.—The culture in Ceylon has not hitherto been extended to such a degree as could be wished. Samples that have reached English markets have been reported as of very fair quality, well-cured, and thin-skinned, and by no means common ; but, at the same time, not of the richest character, and not so carefully grown as they might be. Plantations, formed in parts of tbe island tuo hot for successful coffee-growing, have come on well, and importers are anticipating the development of this new source of supply, which will make thern less dependent upon the Trans Atlantic crops. The seeds were chosen. from the best varieties grown in Trinidad, and, in 1874, more than 40,000 seeds and plants were distributed from the Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya. There will before long be a very large area of land under cocoa, in the warmer parts of the island.
Costa .Rica.—The exports from San Josd in 1878, were 5836 lb.
Ecuador.—This state yields the greatest quantity of cocoa. The kind chiefly growu is Guayaquil, an inferior variety, costing only half as much as Carcicas, and very largely consumed in Germany. A second variety, Esmeralda, is considered superior to Caracas, but it is confined to home consumption. Cocoa is the staple of the country ; but the crop of 1878 was the smallest on record, on account of continued rains. The exports from Guayaquil for 6 years, stated in quintals of 220 lb., were, in 1873, 251,812; 1874, 250,216 ; 1875, 176,207 ; 1876, 224,739; 1877, 203,131 ; 1878, 98,765. The value in 1877 was 45e. a quintal; in 1878, 658. The 1878 export was thus distributed : —Continental Europe, 59,000 quintals ; England, 20,714 ; United States, 7761 ; Central America and West Indies, 7000; South America, &c., 4200.