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MacMillan Library

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THE LIBRARY

THE UNIVERSITY OF
BRITISH COLUMBIA

Gift of
H. R. MacMxWan

representing a Casket of Chotolale being handed to Neptune to make known to the Countries of the World.

COCOA:

All About It.

By ''HISTORICUS."

LONDON :
SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMTANY,

LimiteJ,
ST. DUXS TAN'S HOUSE,

Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, E.G.
1892.

Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive

in 2010 with funding from

University of British Columbia Library

http://www.archive.org/details/cocoaallaboutitOOcadb

CONTENTS.

History and Cultivation of the Cocoa Plant 9

History of the Use of Cocoa 38

Analyses of Cocoa 49

Manufacture of Cocoa 53

Value of Cocoa as Food, and its Adulterations 74

Vanilla Aromatica 93

Appendix : — Preparing the Ground for Planting — Shade-
Planting — Training, or Artificial Support — Watering —
Fertilization — Ehiration and Period of Ripening — Harvesting
the Pods — Drying and Preparing the Pods — Preparing the
Pods for Market , -^ ^ , ^, .„ ^ »»7

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Full Page Coloured Illustrations :—
A Quiet Corner at Bournville,
Girls' Playground and Waterfall at Bournvine.
Cacao Flowers and Pods, showing inside of Pod.
Cocoa Pods on the Branch — Trinidad.
Workpeople's Cottages, and Country Lane at Dournville,
Cricket Field at Bournville.
Cocoa Plantation — Trinidad.
Collecting the Cocoa.

Illustrations in Photopiione : —

One of the One-ton Steam Roasters at Cadbury's Works.

Large Melang<*ur, with six heavy granite crushing rolls, at

Cadbury's Works.
Grinding Mills at Cadbury's Works.

Miscellaneous Engravings : —

Leaves Flowers and Fruit of Cocoa Tree.

The Cocoa Tree.

Pod, Leaves and Flowers of Cocoa Tree.

Curing House in Grenade.

Copy of Old Engraving, showing Cocoa Tree shad *d by larger

'Irees.
Implements used in Gathering and Breaking Pods.
Sweating House in Grenada.
Trays used for Drying Cocoa.

Copy of Engraving from rare work by Philippe Sylvestre Dufoiir.
Copy of Engraving from Dufour's book.
Chocolate Stirrer, " Molinet," copied from an old book puljlislied.

in the Tjth Century.
Montezuma and his Offhcers drinking Cocoa — from Dufour's book.
Microscopical View of Cocoa Adulterated with Arrowroot.
Microscopical View of Pure Decorticated Cocoa.
Vanilla Aromatica — showing Flowers, Fruits and Seeds.

COCOA:

ALL ABOUT IT.

:o:-

CHAPTER I.

:o:-

IIISTORY AND CULTIVATION OF THE TLANT

-:o:

IT was one of the dreams of our
childhood to sail on the bosom of
that mighty river whose water-
shed covers the greater part of the northern
portion of the continent of South America,
and to explore into the secrets of its

lo cocoa: all about it.

thousand tributaries that penetrate into
forests untrodden by the foot of man,
teeming with innumerable brilliantly-coloured
birds and insects, luxuriating in their own
Paradise of tropical plants and flowers. Far
into the dark recesses of these forests the
tributary streams of the Amazon flow,
shadowed by forest trees growing to the
water's edge, festooned by gigantic creepers
which hang in rich foliage and flower over
them.

We follow them further on to their sources
among the snow fields and rocky defiles of
the Andes, and amidst the ruins of an ancient
world and people, almost extinct as nations,
but whose history brings back thrilling
stories of bye -gone days of civilization and
government.

This was the original home of the Cocoa
plant, and it is found at the present day in its
wild state both on the banks of the Amazon,
in Mexico, and in the United States of
Columbia,

Cacao Flowers and Pods, showing inside of Pod.— (Drawn Jrom Nature).

HISTORV AND CULTIVATION OF PLANT. I I

Its growth Is now distributed over a great
portion of the tropical world, and It will
thrive within 25 parallels of latitude, but

Leaves, Flowers, and Fruit.

luxuriates within 15, and Is cultivated as
high as 1,700 feet above the level of the sea.

The largest quantities of Cocoa are pro-
duced in Guayaquil, Para,' and Bahia, the
West Indies, Ceylon, and some portions of
the continent of Africa.

fK-Xt

12 cocoa: all about it.

The finest qualities are grown in Central
America, Trinidad, and Ceylon ; the latter is
of comparatively recent cultivation, but is the
most delicate in colour, flavour, and aroma,
and consequently commands the highest
value on the market."^

Cocoa is also grown in Mauritius, Mada-
gascar, Isle de Bourbon, Australia, and the
Philippian Islands.

An interesting account of the rise and
growth of the West India Islands, written by
Dalby Thomas, in 1690, appeared in the
*' Harleian Miscellany," and we extract the

*NOTE. — Ferguson in "Ceylon in 1884," remarked: —
" Cocoa can never be cultivated in Ceylon to the same extent
as Coffee, Tea, or Cinchona, for it requires a good depth of
good soil and shelter from the wind, and these are only to be
found in very limited areas. To the late R. B. Tytler belongs
the credit of introducing this cultivation, and in his hands
Ceylon Cocoa speedily realized the highest prices in the
London Market, experienced Brokers remarking that there
must be something in the soil and climate of the districts
where it is cultivated in Ceylon peculiarly suited to Cacao.
There are 10,000 acres now planted, and it is expected that
ten years hence an area exceeding 30,000 acres under this
plant will enable Ceylon to send 120,000 to 1 50,000 hundred-
weight uf its products to European markets."

HISTORY AND CULTIVATION OF PLANT. 1 3

following amusing account of this early attempt
and failure by the English to cultivate Cocoa: —
*' Cocoa is now a commodity to be regarded
in our colonies, though at first it was the
principal invitation to the peopling of Jamaica,
for those walks the Spaniards left behind
them there, when we conquered it, produced
such prodigious profit with little trouble that
Sir Thos. Modiford and several others set up
their rests to grow wealthy therein, and fell to
planting much of it, which the Spanish slaves
had always foretold would never thrive, and
so it happened ; for though it promised fair,
and throve finely for five or six years, yet
still, at that age when so long hopes and cares
had been wasted upon it, withered and died
away by some unaccountable cause, though
they imputed it to a black worm, or grub,
which they found clinging to its roots." The
account continues : — *' And did it not almost
constantly die before ; would come into per-
fection in 15 years' growth, and last till 30,
thereby becoming the most profitable tree in
the world, there having been ^200 sterling

14 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

made in one year of an acre of it. But the
old trees, being gone by age, and few new
thriving, as the Spanish negroes foretold, little
or none now is produced worthy the care and
pains in planting and expecting it. Those
slaves gave a superstitious reason for its
not thriving, many religious rites being per-
formed at its planting by the Spaniards which
their slaves were not permitted to see. But
it is probable that where a nation, as they,
removed the art of making cochineal and
curing vanilloes into their island provinces,
which where the commodities of those islands
in the Indians' time, and forbade the opening
of any mines in them for fear some maritime
nation might be invited to the conquering of
them, so they might likewise in their trans-
planting Cocoa from the Caracas and Guata-
mala, conceal wilfully some secret in its
planting from their slaves, lest it might teach
them to set up for themselves, by being able
to produce a commodity of such excellent
use for the support of man's life, with which
alone and water some persons have been
necessitated to live ten weeks together with-

Tbe Cocoa Tie*.

HISTORY AND CULTIVATION OF PLANT. I J

out finding the least diminution of health or
strength."

This inestimable plant, named by Linnaeus
Theobroma (from 0e6; and /Spco/jia, the food of
gods), is an evergreen which grows to the
height of from 15 to 30 feet, with drooping
bright green leaves, in shape oblong, eight to
twenty inches long, and pointed at the ends.
The flowers and fruit, which it bears at all
seasons of the year, grow off the trunk
and thickest parts of the boughs, with
stalks only an inch long. Humboldt saw the
flower bursting through the earth out of
the root, and wondered at the prodigious
vital force of the plant. The flowers,
which grow in tufts or clusters, are very
small, having five yellow petals on a
rose-coloured calyx. The fruit is five-celled,
without valves, from seven to nine and a-half
inches in length, and three to four inches in
breadth, of an elliptic oval-pointed shape,
something like the vegetable marrow, only
more elongated and pointed at the end, tough
and quite smooth, the colour varying, accord-

B

i8

COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

ing to the season, from bright yellow to red
and purple. The rind of the fruit is very
thick, and similar to a very hard tough apple
in substance, and having a slightly sweet taste;
if allowed to ripen this changes into a shell
of a weak nature. The seeds contained in
each pod vary in number from twenty to

Pod, L«aves and Flower.— Pod cut open shewing Seed*.

forty, embedded in a soft pinky-white acid
pulp. The cocoa tree, while growing in that

HISTORY AND CULTIVATION OF PLANT. TQ

portion of the earth wherein the heat is
greatest, yet requires a sheltered situation for
its perfection.

A writer in Belgi^avia graphically describes
the beauty of a Cocoa plantation with its
luscious fruit : —

"The branches do not grow low, so that
in looking down a piece of ground the vista
is like a miniature forest hung with thousands
of golden lamps — anything more lovely
cannot be imagined."

Of the varieties and cultivation of Cocoa in
Trinidad and Grenada, the following extracts
are from the pen of D. Morris, M.A., F.G.S.,
Director of Public Gardens, etc., Jamaica
(1882):—

Cacao : How to Grow and How to

Cure It.

As in a large number, of cultivated plants
entirely propogated from seed, the Cacao
plant is liable to considerable variation, even
when seed is taken from the best kinds. It
is important, therefore, that the Cacao planter

20 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

should make himself acquainted with the
chief varieties, and cultivate only those
specially suited for his soil and climate — care-
fully weeding out, or ** roguing " all those
which, from habit of growth, yield, character
of produce, and other circumstances are un-
suitable for his purpose.

The following are some of the well
marked varieties of cacao as known in
Trinidad : —

1. Cacao Criollo (Red).

2. Cacao Forastero —

Var. a. Cundeamor verugoso amarillo (yellow)

b. „ „ Colorado (red)

c. Liso amarillo ... ... (yellow)

d. „ Colorado ... (red)

e. Amelonado amarillo ... (yellow)

f. „ Colorado ... (red)

g. Calabacilla amarillo... ... (yellow)

h. „ Colorado ... (red)

It will be noticed that the varieties are
divided Into two great classes, Cacao Criollo
and Cacao Forastero.

Of the Forastero varieties the best are
the Verugoso Amarillo (Yellow) and the
Verugoso Colorado (Red). Of these two the

Cocoa Piwls on tlio Brimli rrini(lH(l.-(I>»a»«H Ac>m Naturt )

HISTORY AND CULTIVATION OF PLANT. 21

yellow kind Is said to yield a larger proportion
of seeds than the red, and they are said to
require less time for fermentation. It
appears that In Grenada also the yellow is
preferred to the red, both on account of Its
yield and Its greater adaptability to the
exigencies of cultivation.

The average mean temperature of the
plains and v^'^^leys of Trinidad are naturally
higher than similar localities in Jamaica, but
if we would compare the temperature of
Jamaica with that of the plains and valleys
on the coasts of Guatemala and Mexico it
would be found that our temperature is quite
high enough for the successful cultivation of
the Cacao plant.

As regards elevation, with the exception
of some mountain ranges in the North, rising
into sharp j^eaks of about 3,000 feet, the
surface of Trinidad is in general flat, or
gently undulating. The highest cultivated
lands seldom exceed 200 feet or 300 feet, and
no parts are inhabited above 500 feet. In
Arima and the IMonserrat districts, the Cacao

22 cocoa: all about it.

estates occupy open glades and moderately
undulating country, ranging from almost sea
level to 1 50 feet or 200 feet. The sub-soil in
these districts is of a marly character, over-
laid, chiefly in hollows, by gravelly loam,
moderately deep and remarkably free from
rocks and stones.

In Grenada, Cacao is generally cultivated
at a higher elevation than in Trinidad, some
estates occupying hill slopes up to 800 feet.
The best estates are, however, at the foot of
the hills or in sheltered glades, on land
formerly cultivated in sugar.

As regards the planting. Cacao requires
more care and thought than is generally
imagined.

For instance, it is not only necessary to
be ready before-hand with Cacao seeds or
plants, but the plants have to be protected by
larger trees necessary for shade, and put in
either before the Cacao or at exactly the same
time. The Cacao are planted at exactly the
same distances apart, occupying the centres of

HISTORY AND CULTIVATION OF PLANT. 25

squares. Close to the Cacao plants are small

Copy of an old engraving (>-aid to be the oldest in existence on Cocoa) showing
the way in which the Cocoa Tree is shaded by other larger trees.

From Boutekoe's Works.

shade plants to protect them for a few
months : further off are the bananas and
plantains, one between each Cacao plant, to
last for about two or three years ; and lastly
there come the permanent shade trees, at
distances of 39 or 40 feet, which at the end
of three or four years will be the only
occupants of the ground besides the Cacao.
It delights in a deep and moderately rich

26 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

soil — preference being given to that contain-
ing a certain proportion of lime or marl.

In planting, either of two systems may be
adopted : —

I — (a) Planting at stake (seeds), or {d)
planting from nurseries (plants).

Plantiitg at stake : — In this case the best
and largest seeds in a pod are taken and two
or three are planted at each stake, the soil
being first softened and broken up by a hoe.

After being sown, the seeds require both
shade and protection till they have germinated,
which they generally do in a week or ten
days. When the young plants are from four
to six months old, the strongest only is
retained, the others being carefully reinoved
to give it full scope to grow.

Planting by stake is only adopted in fresh
good land and where seeds are abundant.

In addition to selecting the best and largest
seeds (leaving out the end ones) it is advis-

Cocoa Plantation, Tiiniilad.- (Dmwn //om Nature.)

HISTORY AND CULTIVATION OF PLANT. 27

able for this purpose to wash the pulp and
cover them thoroughly with wood-ashes, as
a protection against ants and predatory
vermin.

Planti7ig from Nurseries : — Where plant-
ing at stake is not practicable, it is advisable
to establish, beforehand, nurseries raised from
seed of the best varieties, so as to have plants
ready for putting out with the first rains. If
the number be small it would be better to
raise the plants in bambu pots, as well for
convenience of transport as for protection to
the young plants in the process of trans-
planting.

Cacao trees in good situations begin to bear
in about the third or fourth year. Individual
trees will, however, sometimes show fruit
when only two years old, but it Is much
better for the trees themselves that they
should be stripped and not allowed to bear
till at least the fourth or fifth year. A Cacao
plantation should be in fair bearing from the
sixth to the ninth years, and at its prime from
the twelfth year.

2 8 COCOA : ALL ALOUT IT.

Gathering Crop : — Although Cacao is In
bearing more or less all the year round, the
chief crop seasons are in May and June, and
again in October and November — these are
known in Venezuela, where the famous
Caracas Cacao is grown, as the St. John's and
Christmas crop, respectively.

Gathering crop is done as follows : — A
number of men, each supplied with a long
bambu rod surmounted by a Cacao hook and
a cutlass, go carefully over the plantation and
pick out all the ripe pods.

These are known by their colour, or better
still, by tapping them. If ripe they give a
hollow sound, as the seeds are then loose and
detached from the outer shell. In gathering
the higher pods the Cacao hook is used, but
the lower ones arc taken off by a cutlass.
The Cacao hook is constructed so that It will
sever the pod either by a thrust or by a draw.

Few operations upon a Cacao estate
recjulre greater care than gathering crop, and
for the following reasons : —

HISTORY AND CULTIVATION OF PLANT. 29

At the place where a pod is attached
(formerly a leaf axil) there is a soft cushion or
**eye," from which all subsequent flowers and
fruits arise. If this "eye" be damaged — as
it inevitably would be if the pod were ruth-
lessly torn off instead of being cut — the tree,
as far as this point is concerned, becomes
sterile. Hence, if a succession of these
" eyes " are thus treated the tree would
ultimately become practically valueless.

When the pods have been gathered and
left in small heaps near the trees, they are
collected by women into larger heaps, and
left till the next day.

The larger heaps are generally placed
near a clear, open space, where the processes
of "breaking" and "drawing" can be con-
veniently carried out. It is advisable, how-
ever, not to use the same spot too often, as
otherwise the empty pods accumulate and
prove an impediment to the cultivation.

A party, consisting of a man with a cutlass

30 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

and two or three women with wooden spoons

Implements used for severing the Fruit from the Tree, and cutting open the Pod.

or scalpels, are told off to a number of heaps,
and by each one they spread plantain leaves
on the ground to receive the seeds. Then,
while the man breaks the pods with his cut-
lass, the women remove the beans with the
wooden spoons, clean them of the fibrous
tissue by which they are attached, and throw
them in a large heap.

All black, unripe, or damaged beans are
placed on one side.

When this process is completed, the fresh

HISTORY AND CULTIVATION OF PLANT. 3 1

seeds are ready to be conveyed or '' crooked "
to the Cacao house, and placed in the " sweat-
ing " house.

Sweatingt House, Granada.

This process is one upon which, in a great
measure, the commercial value of Cocoa
depends. The first impulse of a grower
would be to remove the pulp between the
seeds by washing, and dry the beans as
quickly as possible. This, however, would
not result in a good quality of Cocoa. The
pulp must be removed, but washing is not
the best process.

The fresh bean will be found to be some-
what bitter in taste, and a pale crimson colour ;

32 cocoa: all about it.

both these have to be altered before the bean
is fit for the market.

The best means for this purpose is
evidently the one now generally adopted in
all good Cacao growing countries, and that is
*' sweating " or fermenting the beans. This,
for the most part, gets rid of the pulp, softens
the bitterness of the fresh beans, and gives
them, when cured, that rich mahogany tint so
much sought for by chocolate makers.

The sweating process may briefly be
described as follows : — The beans brought
from the field are placed either in barrels,
oblong boxes, or in a close room, where they
are packed closely together covered with
plantain leaves, and left hermetically closed
for a period extending from four to seven
days. The exact number of days will depend
on the variety of the bean or quality of Cacao
desired. While thus shut up, a process of
fermentation, fed by the saccharine matter In
the pulp, takes place, which raises the
temperature of the mass to about 140° Fah.
During fermentation carbonic acid is given

Cnlleoting tHe Cocoa.- (Drawn /rom Nature.)

rilSTORV AND CULTIVATION OF PLANT. 2>3

off, and some water. In wet weather care Is
taken that the temperature of the mass does
not rise too high, as otherwise the beans
would blacken. It Is often necessary, under
these circumstances, to open the Cacao, and
carefully stir It before It is returned, to com-
plete the fermenting process.

For a plantation, say above lo acres, it
would be more convenient and satisfactory
to have a small building for the purpose
attached to the Cacao house, called a '' sweat-
ing house."

This house would be somewhat as follows :
An oblong room on the basement story, or
mounted on pillars, with boarded sides care-
fully fitted, so as to be [)erfectly air-tight.
The only o[)enIng into it Is by a door, which
should also fit as tightly as possible. For
keeping crops gathered at different times
distinct, it is advisable t© have a division in
the middle. The floor should be double, and
constructed of rather close parallel bars, so as
to allow water, but no beans, to fall through

into a space below.

c

34 COCOA : AT>L AT.OUT IT.

When the formerly pale crimson colour has
given place to a brownish tint, the Cocoa is
turned out and spread on the "tray" or
'' barbecue." It is first of all carefully picked
over by women, who separate the beans from
*' trash" or any foreign substances. This
done, the beans are covered with red earth,
and left to complete the process of fermenta-
tion for another day. A number of women
are then employed for one or two hours in
rubbing them with their hands, and cleaning
them as thoroughly as possible from all
mucilaginous and gummy matters.

The red earth, by its absorbent qualities,
assists in ridding the beans of the mucilage,
and gives them a deep red colour ; it is also
supposed to give them better keeping quali-
ties. A large proportion of Trinidad Cacao
is cleaned without the use of red earth, but
the process is much more tedious and the
beans are not so good in colour and general
appearance. In Jamaica, a large quantity of
red earth for the purpose can be obtained from
whcrt are called the " Red Hills," St. Andrews.

HISTORY AND CULTIVATION OF TLANT. 35

When the cleaning and rubbing process heis
been completed, the beans are spread out on
a tray to dry.

While drying they are carefully turned, so
as to expose edl the beans to the influence of
the sun ; but in case of rain they are im-
mediately covered by the sliding roof of the

—^ 3_-..^

/L

Trays for Drying the Cocoa,

Cacao house. During the hottest part of the
dav, when the thermometer stands over 90° in
the shade, it is considered undesirable to ex-
pose the beans too much to the sun, as thereby
they become "parched" or shrivelled. The
Cacao house is therefore generally shut on hot
days for three or four hours, and the Cacao ex-
posed only when the temperature Is low.

C 2

36 COCOA *. ALL Al^OUT IT.

The process of turning and drying is con-
tinued from day to day until the Cacao is
thoroughly cured.

The experience of the planter alone can tell
whether the Cacao is thoroughly dry.

If well cured it should have the outer skin
hard, crisp, and separating easily from the
bean below. The latter should be firm,
bright, and breaking easily on pressure into
the familiar Cacao nibs of commerce.

It will be noticed that, so far, no washing
of the Cacao beans has taken place. The
process of cleaning is accomplished solely by
the alternating operations of rubbing and
drying with, as already mentioned in some
instances, the aid of red " clay " or earth.

A good Cacao tree in good soil yields from
fifty to several hundred pods per annum.
The average for well-cultivated trees, at
seven years old, should be between eighty
and one hundred pods per annum. As
it generally takes about eleven pods to yield

HISTORY AND CULTIVATION OF PLANT. ^J

one pound of cured Cacao, the above would
indicate that a good mature Cacao tree, under
favourable circumstances, might yield, on an
average, not less than seven pounds of cured
Cacao. The average yield per tree (at all
stages) on an estate of, say 300 acres, would
probably not exceed some two or three pounds
per tree, or (taking 230 trees per acre) a return
of 4 cwt. to 6 cwt. of cured Cacao per acre.

CHAPTER II.

HISTORY OF THE USE OF COCOA.

30KING at the early
works on the use of
Cocoa we find them very-
quaint and speculative as
to its medicinal value, and
its effect upon the consti-

tution.

As early as 1624 Joan Franz Rouch wrote
a treatise condemnatory of its use, and at the
same time abusing the monks.

About contemporary with this was a book
written by Antoino Colmenero de Ledesma,
Medecin and Chirurgien, de la Ville de
Ecija, de T Andalowzie," 1631 ; this was trans-
lated from the Spanish into French by Rene
Moreav, in 167 1 ; and into Latin by Marco
Aurelio Severino, in 1644.

Ci'py of an encr^vinij, from a rare work by Philippe Sylvestre Dufour, showing
a native with his (hK:..l.itc pot ami drinking ...]->, and the "molinet,"or
stirrt-r, In his han.l.

HISTORY OF THE USE OF COCOA. 4 1

Willem Boutekoe, a Dutch author and
traveller, wrote sundry short treatises on
Cocoa and Chocolate about 1679. l)e
Chelus, 1 7 19, wrote an " Histoire Naturelle
du Cacoa et de Sucre."

Another French work *' on the quality and
nature of Chocolate," by Philippe Sylvestre
Dufour, in 1688, from which we copy some of
the very interesting engravings. The first
work we have seen in English being " Trans-
lated from the last edition of the I' rcnch by
R. Brookes, M.D.," 1730.

Our knowledge of Cocoa as an article of
diet dates from the discovery of the Western
world by Columbus, in 1494, who, we are told,
took home with him samples of the article ; and
the subjugation of Mexico by Cortez in 152 1.
History informs us that the Spaniards were
the first who tasted Chocolate, which was j)art
of their spoil in the conquest of Mexico.
Bernardo de Castile, who accompanied
Cortez, describing one of Montezuma's
banquets, says : — " They brought in among
the dishes above fifty great jarr, , made of

42

COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

' Cacao,' with its froth and drank It," similar
jars being served to the guards and attendants
" to the number of 2,000 at least."

Prescott, in his history of the Conquest of
Peru, says that " The emperor took no other
beverage than the chocolatl, a potation of
Chocolate flavoured v/lth vanilla and other
spices, and so prepared as to be reduced to a
froth of the consistency of honey, which

Copy of an engraving from Dufour's book*

gradually dissolved In the mouth, and was
taken cold. This beverage, if so it could be
called, was served in golden goblets, with
si)()ons of the same metal or of tortoiseshell
finely wrought."' The historian also adds,
** the en\[oeror was so (nnd of it, to judge

IIISTORV OF THE USE OF COCOA. 43

from the quantity, no fewer than 50 jars or
pitchers being prepared for his own daily
consumption, whilst 2,000 more were allowed
for that of his household/'

Mendoza, in his work upon the "Anti-
quities of Mexico," tells us that amongst other
things paid into the Mexican Treasury as
tribute by different cities of the Empire, there
were " 20 chests of ground Chocolate, 80
loads of red Chocolate, and an item of 200
loads of Chocolate. We also find that the
Cocoa seed were used by the Mexicans for
currency. Peter Martyr gave them on this
account the name Amygdalce pcciiniaricr.

It may be as well to explain here that the
word "Chocolate" is of Mexican origin, being
derived from " chocolatl "; the pronunciation
of the word resembling the clattering sound
produced by the native handmill used to
grind the Cocoa and mix it with sugar.

Thomas Gage, In his " New Survey of the
West Indies" (1648), says "the name is
compounded from afti\ as some say, or as

44 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

Others, atle, which in the Mexican language
signifieth water, and from the sound which
the water (wherein is put the Chocolate)
makes, as cJioco, cJioco, c/ioco, when it is stirred
in a cup by an instrument called a ' molinet,'
or 'molinillo,' until it bubble and rise unto a
froath."

^:d

Chocolate .Slirrer (Molinet), copied from an old book piil L^lled in
the J7th century.

The same writer remarks : '* Our English
and Hollanders make little use of it
when they take a prize at sea, as not know-
ing the secret virtue and quality of it for the
good of the stomach." For many years the
cultivation of the Cocoa tree was confined to
the Spanish, who, in South America and
some of the West India Islands, carried on
the cultivation to a large extent. From their
first settlement in Trinidad, we are told that
" it seems probable the Spaniards cultivated
the tree, and thoroughly understood its value,
the prepared article being always much

HISTORY OF THE USE OF CCCOA. 45

esteemed in the then opulent mother-
country."

From Spain the monks introduced the
use of Chocolate into France, in 1661. The
earliest record we have of the use of Choco-
late in England is said to be furnished by an
advertisement which appeared in the Public
Advertisery or Adviser according to one
authority, of Tuesday, June 16, to Tuesday,
June 22, 1657, informing the public that "in
Bishopsgate Street, in Queen's Head Alley,
at a Frenchman's house, is an excellent
West India drink called Chocolate to be sold,
where you may have it ready at any time, and
also unmade at reasonable rates."

Disraeli, in his *' Curiosities of Literature,'*
speaking of the introduction of tea, coffee and
chocolate into Europe, says : " Chocolate the
Spaniards brought from Mexico, where it was
denominated chocolatl. It was a coarse mix-
ture of ground Cacao and Indian corn with
rocoic ; but the Spaniards, liking its nourish-
ment, improved it into a richer compound
with sugar, vanilla and other aromatics. We

46 COCOA : ALL Ai;OUT IT.

had Chocolate-houses in London long after
coffee-houses ; they seemed to have associated
something more elegant and refined In their
new term when the other had become
common."

Cocoa was much esteemed as a beverage In
this country during the reign of Charles II.,
and at that period Dr. Stubbe published a
book entitled "The Indian Nectar, or a Dis-
course concerning Chocolate, &c.," In which
the author gives a history of that article, and
many curious notions respecting its " secret
virtue," and recommends his readers to buy It
of one Mortimer, " an honest though poor
man," who lived In East Smithfield, and sold
the best kind at 6s. 8d. per lb., and commoner
sorts at about half the price. It was not until
the close of the sixteenth century that Cocoa
or Chocolate was generally used In this
country, and when we take Into account the
Indifferent means for ])reparatIon and the
adulterated condition of the article we can
hardly be surprised that It did not come into
general favour with the public.

Taattjes NovKEAVjL SZiCrnMjErx- 2^P^

CZ> tT^ZJ- ^^^Y'-^^^^ ^^-^

Reproduction of an old Plate (1688) from Dufour « Treatises on
Coffee, Tea, nnd Cbocobte

IILSTOKV OF THE USE OF COCOA. 47

Prior to 1831, the quantity consumed in this
country only amounted to 500,000 lbs. per
annum.

Sixty years has wrought a marvellous
change, which may best be described by the
following facts and figures of comparatively
recent date. In 1858 only 2,860,034 lbs. of
Cocoa were consumed in this country ; in 1864.
3,862,273 lbs.; in 1880, 10,566, 159 lbs. ; and
in 1890, 20,224,175 lbs.

Of the Cocoa now imported into England,
close on one-third is cleared by the house of
Cadbury, Bournville, an account of whose
factory we give in another chapter.

The consumption of Cocoa was quite
nominal in the earlier part of the century,
IS. 6d. per pound being levied for duty up to
1820, and every pound of Chocolate had to
be wrapped In papers supplied by the revenue
officer.

In an article by Dr. A. J. H. Crespi, W'im-
borne, in The Hoiiscwifc, December, J8S9,
he says : —

The consumption of tea Is now said to stand
at 150,000,000 lbs. a year or more, and of

48 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

coffee at 80,000,000 or 100,000,000 lbs., while
Cocoa still only reaches 18,464,164 lbs., or,
roughly speaking, eight ounces per head, a
surprisingly small consumption, especially
when it Is remembered that so much of It
goes in bon-bons ; Indeed, many people never
drink a cup of Cocoa or Chocolate from year's
end to year's end, though they get through,
whenever they have the opportunity, a large
quantity of Cocoa or Chocolate sweetmeats.
We see no reason why the average consump-
tion of Cocoa should not stand at one pound
a head, that is at nearly 40,000,000 lbs., for of
late the growth of the trade shows marvellous
Improvement, and our conservative country-
men— conservative for good as well as for evil
— have at last begun to recognise the value
of Cocoa as a household beverage of a class
with absolutely no other member.

The chemical composition of Cocoa as given
in a paper read before the Society of Arts by
John Holm, F.R.G.S., in 1874, is as follows,
and the table contains all analyses of any im-
portance made up to that time : —

HISTORY OF THE USE OF COCOA.

49

K) O

O -H

O vj o
O cji 11

Lampedius.

-p. (0 O i; :
O 8 8 5

8"

o
o

8

8:

o •
o

: :

i

Payen.

8 8

Johnson.

8

: : : 4^ kj ui to -t> :

: CNvj : :

: : o

8

' ' ■ d o' o n 0 ■

O 0 0 O 0

■ 88* •

' ' 8

Playfair and
I.ankester,

MilU

o o o

-p O ;

8 8^'

o o

U^'^ 8

00 :

8'

88

00 sO

88

Mitscherlich.

^

o '-^ Co :

sO O ^ '
O 00 C\

-u o

O 'wO

Mitt(

(yi o cK '
0 0 0

00 o •

8 8'

8 ■ 8

Average of

several othir

analyses.

50 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

Mr. Holm also makes the following obser-
vations : —

It is a table which is not very flattering to
chemical science, the analyses being of the most
contradictory character, and containing dis-
crepancies which cannot be at all reconciled
with each other. I should judge that the
analysis prepared by Drs. Playfair and
Lankester is the most correct. We thus see
that, taking the important constituents. Cocoa
contains : —

Parts.

Cocoa butter 50

Albuminoid substances 20

Starch, Sugar, &c 13

Salts 4

Theobromine 2

Other constituents 11

100

Taking these in the order of their im[)ort-
ance, we first notice the fat, or Cocoa-butter,
forms about half the substance of the
nibs. It is a hard, fatty substance which,
when clarified, is of a p.ile yellow colour. Its
melting j)oint is about 100" Fah., which being
the heat of the body, renders it of great value

HISTORY OF THE USE OF COCOA. 5 1

for therapeutical purposes. The fat only
becomes rancid when subjected to heat or
h'^^ht, and especially to the direct rays of
the sun. It is hardly necessary to point out
how valuable this quality renders this portion
of the bean for surgical and other purposes.
The albuminoid constituents form about 20
per cent, of the nib. These are classed
amongst the nitrogenous princl[)les of food
and their presence renders Cocoa one of the
richest flesh-formers we have. The starch,
gum and sugar present, like the Cocoa-butter,
belong to non-azotlsed principles ; they form
about 13 per cent, of the whole. The alkaloid
of Cocoa, iheobroviine, is very similar In Its
physiological effects to its analogues, theinc
and caffeine, from which it differs very sllghtlx'
in chemical composition.

ESSENTIAL ALKALOID PRINCU'LES.

Yielded

by

Name.

Cocoji

'Iheobrominc

Coffee

Caffeine

Tea

Theinc

C\\.\TAnA

Guaranine

Mat6

Composition.

Proportion.

Ct Hs Xt Oi i 2 per cent.

I All Identical |- i to 7 per cent.
Cs 11,0 N4 Oj I

In less quantities

52 cocoa: all about it.

In regard to these alkaloids it is interesting
to note that throughout the world the instinct
of man has led him to seek some substance
which contains one of these principles, which
owe their value to the specific influence they
exert on the nervous system, stimulating it
and checking waste of tissue. Theobromine,
when extracted, presents the form of a white
crystalline powder of almost amorphous
appearance, differing from caffeine and theinc,
which have a very beautiful crystalline
appearance.

In most of the analyses of Cocoa the
existence of a volatile oil has been overlooked.
It is probably present only in small quantities,
and appears to be developed by roasting; but
upon it depends the flavour and aroma which
exists in Cocoa.

CHAPTER III

-:o:

MANUFACTURE.

E cannot do better thnn trans-
port our readers to Hourn-
ville, *' the Worcestershire
Eden " as it has been aptly
termed, for the surroundings
of the place have a charm
of their own that banishes
the thought of smoke and machinery, and
gives quite a zest for the ins[)ection of this
happy and busy scene of labour. Bournville
is certainly a model factory, both for its
size and its completeness, and because it
contains the most modern improvements in
the application of machinery for the manu-
facture of Cocoa and Chocolate.

54 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

Five tall chimneys and some acres of ware-
houses and workshops divided by streets con-
nected by bridges, and intersected by railway
lines, give some idea as to the extent of the
works, but for all this our first impression on
being taken through the porter's lodge was
that of entering into a garden with a welcome
of the sweet breath of flowers and the song
of birds ; for we have to pass by the girls'
garden and play-ground, which is well planted
and bordered on three sides by trees and
shrubs, while the plantations of Bournbrook
Hall give the substantially country sur-
roundings of which it boasts. One of the
sights of Bournville Is to see the girls in their
white costumes, after dinner, sitting to read
under the trees, or enjoying in other ways a
breath of fresh air.

The name " Bournville" was suggested by
the immediate contiguity of the pretty stream-
let known as the " Bourn," which meanders
through the estate and forms the northern
boundary of the factory. This rippling
rivulet adds to the attractiveness of the

MANUFACTURE 55

locality, and Is regarded with no little satis-
faction by the disciples of Izaak Walton,
who recognise in the pretty trout stream
an Important feature which often gladdens
the heart of the angler. Among those
enofao^ed at the works are lovers of the
enthralling pastime, and we are Informed that
recently trout of very respectable dimensions
had been landed from the Bourn.

On ground contiguous to the factory, and
bordering on the road which runs on the
southern side of the works, Messrs. Cadbury
have built i6 semi-detached villa residences,
which are inhabited by their most prominent
liands — workmen who have shown by their
general demeanour, diligence In business, and
assiduity, that they are worthy the considera-
tion their employers have evinced for their
interests. These villas are model residences,
let at a comparatively small rental ; they arc
well built of brick, In two colours, fitted
internally with taste, and each would easily
bring a rent of ^40 per annum in the
suburbs of the metropolis. The inhabitants

56 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

of these residences pay 5s. to 6s. per week.
To each house is apportioned a front and
back garden, and the tenants are enabled to
grow their own vegetables and fruit, and
decorate the front parterres with flowers.

Like many of our largest manufacturers,
Messrs. Cadburv commenced business with
a staff of workpeople comparatively small
when compared to the number of hands at
present employed by them. About thirty
years ago under twenty employes comprised
the working establishment, while at present
they employ about 1,600 men, boys, and
girls.

Owing to the comparatively Isolated
position of the works, ample provision has to
be made for all requirements as regards
cooking. Spacious dining rooms have been
provided separately on the premises for both
men and women. Gas stoves and cooking
apparatus have been erected, and hot dinners
can be procured in a very few minutes. So
complete are the cuisine arrangements that
there is little delay in serving all from the

MANUFACTURE. 57

kitchen, which is constructed between the
men's and women's dining rooms, which are
kept quite distinct.

The manufacture of Cocoa and Chocolate
requires great experience, skill, and special
knowledge. In detailing the processes it will
be convenient to divide them into two
branches, viz., the production of Cocoa
Essence, and the manufacture of sweet
Chocolate.

Cocoa Essence, which is the speciality ol
this firm, is unrivalled as a nutritive beverage,
and therefore the most important for
consideration. The best Cocoa contains
about 50 per cent, of natural oil or butter,
and this has been found to be far too large a
])roportion for ordinary digestions. Dr.
Muter remarks that the "only objection
which can and does exist to its use in a state
of purity is the excessive proportion of fat,
which renders it too rich for most digestions,
and gives, unfortunately, a colourable excuse
for its adulteration."

5^ COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

By means of elaborate machinery at these
works the removal of two-thirds of the butter
Is accomplished, the result being an impalp-
able powder easily miscible in boiling water.

As the visitor leaves the office of the
principals, and enters the factory, the
fragrance of the Cocoa-berry salutes the
olfactories most agreeably. The hum of
machinery denotes that the hands are busily
engaged, and as we pass Into the factory, an
earnestness of purpose Is manifested by the
workpeople who are Intent upon their various
pursuits. The utmost order and regularity is
preserved In all the departments, and every
employe appears to discharge his or her duty
with that ease and readiness which Is the result
of experience and training.

The Cocoa arrives In sacks weighing from
one to two cwt., and as it varies considerably in
kind and quality, it has to be stacked in large
piles ready to undergo the first process of
sifting and picking, so that no unsound berry
or other foreign material Is passed into the
n^asting room. The sieves used for this

MANUFACTURE. 59

process arc long barrels on a slight incline,
which slowly revolve and sort the nuts into
various sizes, while at the same time they
renio\'e dust or smaller matter that mav come
with them. By an automatic process the nuts
are carried into the hoppers of the roaster,
three of which are each capable of roasting
one ton at a time. These rotate slowly and
are roasted by high pressure steam, being
especially adapted for a particular purpose
of manufacture.

There are two other ways used of roasting
Cocoa, by more direct and intense heat, and
which is of course a quicker process than by
high pressure steam. So important is this
process that very careful attention is necessary,
and experienced workmen, whose judgment is
almost unerring, are entrusted to superintend
the roasting. It is requisite for those who
have charge of this department to determine
the precise period at which the nuts are
sufficiently roasted, for the quality and rich
aromatic flavour of the Cocoa depends greatly
upon this. A miscalculation in time would

6o COCOA : ALL Al;OUT IT.

tend to spoil the Cocoa, but it is satisfactory
to know that mishaps rarely happen, and
so practised are the hands responsible for the
roasting that the work is, as a rule, admirably
done and the flavour of the nut is invariably
preserved. In connection with this process,
methods of treatment peculiar to the estab-
lishment are successfully adopted. After being
roasted the nuts are placed in trays of
considerable superficial dimensions to cool.
The fresh air speedily reduces the temperature
of the Cocoa-beans, and they are then ready
to be what is technically termed '' broken
down." The now crisp roasted nuts are
placed in a hopper and afterwards raised by
an elevator, and passed through a machine
which gently cracks them, disengaging the
hard thin skin, which by this means can
be separated from the nutritive portion of
the nut, viz., the rich glossy kernel, known in
the market as Cocoa-nibs. The separation is
effected by a winnowing machine. From the
outlet of the cracking machine the husk and
nut are carried to a point over the winnower,
and as the cracked nuts fall, the powerful blast

MANUFACTURE. 6 1

of this machine blows away the husk from the
nut, and the latter falls into a receptacle in the
form of nibs, which are sorted by a diviseur.
The husk or shell is sent off to Ireland and
elsewhere to be used as a light, but by no
means unpalatable, table decoction, under the
designation of *' miserables."

The mill room, into which wc now pass, is
a very spacious and well-arranged apartment,
in which numerous machines are employed in
the manufacture of Cocoa and Chocolate, the
most approved modern mechanical appliances
having been introduced. In this room
three long lines of millstones are at work
crushing the nibs, which are fed into a hopper,
from whence they pass between granite mill-
stones. As these stones are heated the nibs
are reduced to a creamy fluid, which flows into
a receptacle. The nibs are hard and brittle
before they are crushed, but after a few minutes
grinding the oil they contain is disengaged by
the heat, and an oleaginous paste is produced.
From this fluid the Cocoa-butter is extracted
by means of a certain process — a speciality of

62 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

the firm — and the substance Is left perfectly
dry. This is speedily reduced to an iinpal-
[)able powder, and the well-known and
absolutely pure Cocoa essence, for which the
finn Is so celebrated, is complete.

It should be explained here that there are
three forms in which absolutely pure Cocoa
can be used, namely : ist, the Cocoa-nib before
n^rinding into a paste, prepared for drinking
by making an Infusion from them by boiling in
water ; 2nd, the Cocoa-nib ground into a
paste and solidifying into a hard cake and
retaining all the butter : this Is not soluble in
boiling water ; 3rd, the Cocoa essence, which
is practically soluble, containing a larger pro-
portion of flesh-forming substance.

Many millions of mill-board boxes, to con-
tain the Cocoa essence, have to be made
yearly, and it may therefore be readily sup-
posed that the box-making department is one
of considerable Importance. The demand
l)elng so enormous the firm employ
elaborately-constructed machinery to meet
their requirements. One machine cuts the

.«4

i

0

<y

MANUFACTURE. 63

l)oarcl Into the required shape, while another
glues the parts together and perfects the
packet - shell, the output averaging ab(mt
5,000 daily from each of the six machines.
They work with perfect regularity, and
demonstrate the state of perfection to which
labour-saving inventions have been brought.
The boxes are removed by means of a hollow
band, and forwarded to the packing-room,
where numbers of busv hands are fillincr,
wrapping, and labelling the packets.

We now come to the second branch of
manufacture, which is of considerable com-
mercial importance, and very extensive.
Sweet Chocolate, for eating and drinking,
forms the most delicious of all confections or
beverages, and Cocoa prepared in this way is
another of the specialities of the firm. To
the manufacture of the numerous varieties
this last section of the factory is devoted.
The pure Cocoa is, in the first place, incorp-
orated with white sucrar in what is called a

04 COCOA : ALL ADOUT IT.

'' Melangeur." This mixing machine consists
of a round granite revolving slab, forming a
pan, the sides being of steel. Into this recep-
tacle the Cocoa and sugar are poured, and two
sets of heavy stationary granite rollers bruise
the thick mass, which is reduced to the con-
sistency of dough. A double knife, the action
of which is similar to that of a screw propel-
ler, continually revolves just above the rotary
stone slab, and distributes the chocolate as it
passes. There were several of these machines
at work, and our attention was particularly
directed to one of an improved design and
great magnitude, which mixed and ground
the Chocolate, and then automatically passed
it on to heavy granite cylinders, which system-
atically and gradually reduce the chocolate to
a given degree of fmeness, the operation
being effected with remarkable exactitude.

One special article made by the firm has
been compared to the famous Chocolate
that Prescott describes as forming part of
Montezuma's repast — '' In golden goblets
llavoured with vanilla, and so orcparcd as

MANUFACTURE. 67

to be reduced to a froth of the consistency
of honey, which gradually dissolved in the
mouth."

In this establishment the charm said to be
inseparable from variety is not lacking. The
creme moulding-room presented a scene that
was unlike any previously witnessed within
the works. The work upon which the young
v/omen in this room were engaged was of a
delicate and light description, particularly
suitable for female hands. In this portion of
the factory the delicious Chocolate creams,
which we need not describe because they are
so well known, are poured rapidly into moulds
of various patterns and designs. These
moulds are formed in finely prepared corn
tlour, which gives the room the appearance
of a tlour store ; the workers dexterously
pour the liquid cream along the mould, and
each hole absorbs the alloted quantity. The
young women engaged at this work are
remarkably expert and skilful, as they man-
age to fill eaeh mould with just sufficient of
the cream and no more, thereby preventing

D 2

68 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

waste of time, if not of material. The creams
soon solidify, and when cool they are extracted
from the moulds, and the flour in which thev
were moulded havino: been brushed awav,
they are taken to another department and
coated with Chocolate.

The room which we next enter is very
extensive and commodious, being 240 feet in
length by 60 feet wide. Every business con-
venience is afforded in this noble workroom,
and the young women, with ample space at
their command, suffer under none of those
disabilities which invariablv arise when the
area is insufficient and the apartment is
" cribb'd, cabind, and confin'd." A large
number of young women are engaged in this
and other rooms, of slightly less proportions,
boxing, labelling, and making fancy boxes
to contain Chocolate creams and numerous
confections composed of the delicious
preparations so well known and highly
appreciated.

Not only is it essential that the sense of
taste should be gratified by the manufacture of

MANUFACTURE. 69

toothsome compounds but the eye must be
pleased. Many varieties of fancy boxes made
in thesti rooms are admirable examples ui
art workmanship. The designs and pictures
on some of the best packages are chaste
and elegant, while In the vast assortment
of decorative embellishments every taste and
fancy may be gratified. At Christmastide
boxes and creams are In universal request.
Passing around this department an Inter-
esting and diversified scene presents itself.
Youncr women are busv at work at their
tables or counters, some being engaged
in cutting out and stamping the card-
board, and others fitting the boxes to-
gether on blocks, wrapping the edges with
gold or gelatine paper, and fixing on the top
those pictorial artistic gems which are so
attractive. Many others are employed
ornamenting and finishing, with exceedingly
good taste and evident skill, the different
sorts of boxes required for the various goods
manufactured at the works. The hands
have ample material at their disposal to
render their work effective, and every novelty

70 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

likely to please the public is promptly Intro-
duced. Some of the latest and most artistic
ornamentations well deserve a frame.

In other rooms numerous mechanical
appliances are used for cutting cardboard,
paper, &;c., and the number of fancy boxes
turned out weekly Is enormous. In another
part of this section young women were busy
packing creams in boxes, and wrapping
Chocolate cakes in tinfoil and papers of
i^arlous colours. Many thousand of com-
pletely-finished boxes and packets of every
description, containing Chocolate creams, plain
:hocolates, and in fact, almost every variety
of the firm's manufacture, including the
specialities already mentioned, were ready for
packing and transit to all parts of the world,
to supply the home, foreign, and colonial
markets.

The saw-mills and wood box-making depart-
ment are distinct portions of the establishment,
and the visitor on entering these extensive
workshoi)S would Imagine that another
industry, entirely removed from the manu-

MANUFACTURE. 7 1

factory of Cocoa and Chocolate, was being
pursued. In this building there is a buzz and
whirl, caused by the circular-saws, by which
spruce-planks are reduced to the required
length and thickness for box - making,
and most efficient planing-machlnes renders
the surface of the wood as smooth as glass.
These are transferred by a lift across the road
to larger premises, where a number of hands
are employed to nail the pieces together by
ingeniously contrived machines which punch
in three nails by one process, and through the
remarkable activity of the workers, a box Is
nailed together almost before you can see
how it is done.

The tinman's shop is next In rotation.
Ingenious tools and appliances of modern
design and construction have been introduced,
and th(! tinwork, which Is considerable in so
vast an establishment, is executed with skill
and dispatch by first-class workmen. Many
thousands of tin-boxes for packing the Cocoa
essence are turned out every day, and moulds
for the chocolates are made and stamped, the

72 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

zinc linings for export cases, &c. ; also
general repairs incidental to the works, which
come within the province of the tin- worker,
are done in this department, which is fitted
with every requisite contrivance for econo-
mising labour and securing satisfactory
results.

We may state here that the most excel-
lent system of payment is adopted, by
results. At this factory almost all the
employes are engaged in what is known
as piece - work, which Is satisfactory alike
to the firm and to the hands. The system
has, we understand, worked well, and
the work-people, both male and female, are
well satisfied with the manner In which they
are treated, and we were gratified to be
assured more than once how fortunate it was
deemed to be employed at Bournville. This
good feeling between employers and employed
is of almost inestimable value, both socially
and commercially.

MANUFACTURE. "J ;^

It would be foreign to our purpose to
describe fully all the interesting details of such
an establishment, lait we may rrmark in
closing that if all manulacturcrs would make
the interests and happiness of their employes
a part of their business, it would add to their
prosperity and do something to solve the
important problem of labour by cementing
the friendship of masters and workpeople.

CHAPTER IV.

:o:-

VALUE OF COCOA AS FOOD, AND ITS
ADULTERATIONS.

:o:-

'Tis not enough to help the feeble up,
But to support him after."

TiMON OF Athens.— ^^//., Sce/te i.

N a passage from one of
Froude's charming " Short
Studies" he says: *' Observe
the practical issue of rehglous
corruption. Show me a
people whose trade Is dishonest, and I
will show you a people whose religion Is a
sham." '* We have men that steal money,"
Erasmus exclaimed, writing doubtless with
the remembrance of a stomach-ache. " These
wretches steal our money and our lives too,
and get off scot-free."

COCOA AS FOOD — ITS ADULTERATIONS. 75

Keen observers of the national progress
cannot have failed to notice the growing
interest taken in all questions relating to the
three essentials conducive to health and
longevity, viz., wholesome food, pure water,
and fresh air. In these progressive times
there is a spirit of inquiry and investigation
manifested, and the consumer is no longer
content to take things as they are, but, on the
contrary, being of an " inquiring mind " he
is desirous to ascertain, for his own satis-
faction and benefit, '' what to eat, drink, and
avoid." It is well known that ^idulteration
was, in past days, carried on to a very con-
siderable extent, and although very much has
been done to mitigate the evil, " the selling
of an inferior or debased substance under the;
name of a superior or genuine article" still
continues, both as regards food and drink.

All foods are classified into two types or
divisions — namely, the nitrogenous, or tissue-
forming, and the caloriilcient, or lu. it-
creating.

76 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

By the term *' nitrogenous " is meant all
foods, whether derived from the animal or
vegetable kingdom, which contain nitrogen as
one of the elements of their composition, in
addition to carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
These foods are also called tissue-formers,
and the measure of their flesh-forming value
is the quantity of nitrogen they contain. The
reason of this is found in the fact that all the
tissues of the body, fat excepted, contain
nitrogen, and those wherein the nutritive
changes are most active, such as muscle and
nerve, contain the largest amount of nitrogen.

The active principle of Cocoa is Theo-
bromine, of which active principle we find,
according to Drs. Playfair and Lankester —

Tea contains 3 per cent. Theine.

Coffee „ 13/ „ Caffein.

Cocoa „ ... ... 2 „ Theobromine.

Cocoa also contains a volatile oil, which
gives its delicious aroma, and, no doubt,
essentially adds to its refreshing and exhil-
arating character as a beverage.

COCOA AS FOOD — ITS ADULTERATIONS. 77

Nearly nine-tenths of the Cocoa bean is
composed of matter that is assimilated by the
digestive organs ; while with Tea and Coffee
more than one-half is thrown away as waste
product. The proportions of woody fibre are
as follows : —

Tea 20 per cent. Woody Fibre.

Coffee 35 „ „

Cocoa ... ... ... 4 „ „

Cocoa is said to yield thirteen times the
nutriment of Tea for the same value, and
four-and-a-half times as much as Coffee.

The importance of these facts in connection
with the use of Cocoa will at once be apparent
when we compare the analysis of Cocoa nibs,
which contain all the natural butter, with
Cocoa essence, from which about two-thirds
has been removed. It is also interesting to
note that it compares very favourably with
pure dried milk.

Flesh Formers.

Dr. Johnson's Analysis (f.^'^^f^J-'n^ ""^ ] r^ . c

■' ^ (Dried Milk 35 lOutofcvery

Cocoa Essence .■. 34 Vl 100 parts.

Best French Chocolates 11 j

Mr. Faussctt, M.IJ., F.R.C.S.I., in a p.ipcr

yS COCOA . ALL ABOUT IT.

read before the Surgical Society of Ireland,
May, 1877, draws the attention of the Faculty
to this subject, in connection with the feeding
of infants : —

" Without presuming to pass any judgment
on the many artificial substitutes which on
alleged chemical and scientific principles have
from time to time been pressed forward under
the notice of the profession and the public to
take the place of mother's milk, I beg to call
attention to a very cheap and simple article
which is always easily procurable — viz..
Cocoa, and which wAen pure and deprived of
an excess of fatty matter, may safely be relied
on, as Cocoa in the natural state abounds in a
number of valuable nutritious principles ; in
fact, in every material necessary for the
growth, the development, and sustenance of
the body." After giving some remarkable
cases of children being restored from *' the
last stage of extreme exhaustion " by Its use,
and *' continued through the whole period of
infancy" with the effect of their becoming fine,
healthy children, he concludes by saying : —

COCOA AS FOOD ITS ADULTERATIONS. 79

** I beg, therefore, respectfully to commend
Cocoa, as an article of infant's food, to the
notice of my professional brethren, especially
those who, holding office under the Poor-laws,
have such large and extensive opportunities
of testing its value."

For athletes, and all who study the develop-
ment of the muscular tissues of the body, its
use cannot be set aside. Professor Cavill, in
his celebrated swim across the English Chan-
nel, and from Southampton to Portsmouth,
considered it to be the most concentrated
and sustaining food he could use for that
trying test of his staying power ; several
other instances could be given, of the same
character.

John Muter, Ph.D., F.C.S., in an article
on Prepared Cocoa, says : —

"The only objection which can and does
exist to Its use in a state of purity is the
excessive proportion of fat, which renders it
too rich for most digestions, and gives unfor-
tunately a colourable excuse for its admixture
with starch. There are two classes of pre-

So COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

pared Cocoa: (i) That In which the reduction
of the fat Is secured by adding starch and
sugar; and (2) That where the fat Is partially
removed and the remainder of the bean Is
served to the public unmixed.

** On looking at the composition of Cocoa,
the great fallacy of countenancing the addition
of starch Is at once apparent. The only pos-
sible excuse Is the dilution of the fat, but then,
at the same time, the nutritious gluten and
stimulating theobromine are equally reduced
In value. On the other hand, given the
removal of a portion of the fat, the other
constituents are not only kept intact but
positively concentrated in a high degree."

Fine Cocoa, carefully prepared and com-
bined with sugar, is probably the most
delicious and delicate of all confections, and
if free from the husk or shell, which Is often
used in the lower qualities of chocolate, is
certainly one of the most nutritious articles of
food.

The imi)ortant question of adulteration may

Cocoa adulterated with common Arrowroot, containing Potato Starch,
as seen by x-5th inch power, and A eye-piece.

Pure decorticated Cocoa, with i-5tb inch power, and A eye-piece.
Starch cells — inner membrane — portions of embryo.

COCOA AS FOOD ITS ADULTERATIONS. 85

be divided under two heads — viz., those
additions that are fraudulent but not injurious,
and those additions that are both fraudulent
and injurious to health.

Of this latter class of adulteration, Dr.
Hassall's book on '* Food and its Adultera-
tions," written many years ago, well disposed
of them, as it resulted in public opinion being
awakened to such frauds, and in a searching
investigation on the part of the Government.
The Adulteration Act of Parliament (1873)
made it necessary for the manufacturer to
state on every packet that the article is sold
as a mixture, and that all additions are in no
way injurious to health.

We are glad to believe that Venetian red,
umber, peroxide of iron, and even brick-dust,
are adulterations of the past.

We have, therefore, to deal with the more
difficult definitions of adulterations that are not
necessarily Injurious to health, but that reduce
the value of Cocoa as food. We have already
shown that Cocoa is rich In its nltroQ^enous

o

86 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

elements, and therefore of such Inestimable
importance as abullder-upandstrengthenerof
the human frame that we need be very jealous
of all devices used by manufacturers to reduce
its value. There are a certain class of
additions to Cocoa that can only come under
the head of fraudulent adulterations when
they are mixed in extravagant quantities ; we
allude more particularly to farinaceous sub-
stances, such as arrowroot, sago, potato-
starch, &c.

There can be no objection to such additions
so long as they are stated, and the mixture
not sold as Cocoa. It is hardly fair, however,
to term such articles Chocolate, or Chocolate
powder (certainly not Cocoa) when the pro-
portion of Cocoa does not amount to one-
tenth part of the whole.

We have samples of such articles before
us that have been palmed on to the public
as ** Soluble Cocoa." We cannot admit
under any circumstance that the addition of
starch improves the quality. It may be that
some prefer their Cocoa thick, but while the

COCOA AS FOOD — ITS ADULTERATIONS. Sy

addition of farinaceous substances are made to
absorb the excess of butter and to make it
" soluble," it must not be fors^otten that it
takes the form of an emulsion, and therefore
cannot be so wholesome as food.

We now come to the still more difficult
and subtle question of the addition of alkali
in the preparation, of pure Cocoa partly
deprived of its natural butter. The reason
for this is quite apparent to the initiated.

The addition of soda, potash, magnesia, or
ammonia, either when the Cocoa is being
roasted, or after that process, so acts upon
the Cocoa that it deepens the colour, and
gives an apparent strength when prepared for
drinking, while it saponifies the butter still
remaining in the Cocoa, thus holding the
Cocoa longer in suspension. (Cocoa can
never be chemically or actually soluble.)

An eminent English physician ( Dr.
Crespi) has lately written upon this question
in a communication to the October, 1890,
number of a leading American publication,

88 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

" Hygiene," and gives us the result of his
Investigations, from which we make the
following extract : —

'' Unfortunately we have of late years seen
the country flooded with foreign Cocoas, pure
in great measure — that is, innocent of starch
and sugar — but contaminated with an ad-
mixture of alkali. The exact percentage of
these additions and the steps in the process
are not, however, perfectly clear. The
object of this adulteration is this : Cocoa does
not give an Infusion or decoction, but mixed
with water is practically a soup ; it is sus-
pended, not dissolved. Now the addition of
an alkali gives rise to a soap in plain English,
much as when common soap — a compound of
oil and alkalies — is mixed with water ; but
this alkalised Cocoa has an appearance of
strength which it does not possess, and the
ignorant consumer hastily assumes that he is
getting far more for his money and being
supplied with a much better article, so that he
cheerfully pays a higher price for his medi-
cated beverage. But we are not so much

COCOA AS FOOD — ITS ADULTERATIONS. 89

concerned with the actual injury clone by the
adulteration of Cocoa with alkalies as with
the principle. The recent great improve-
ments in the preparation of Cocoa, as we
have said above, by removing the super-
abundant oil, have so much increased the
digestibility of this nutritious beverage that
the last excuse for the addition of alkalies and
starch is gone, and the presence of the
former, besides being deleterious to some
constitutions, cannot answer any purpose
except giving an appearance of fictitious
strength."

It may be as well also to add the opinion
of Dr. Sidney Ringer, Professor of Medicine
at the Universitv ColleQ:e, London, and
Physician to the College Hospital ; perhaps
the greatest English authority on the action
of drugs.

He states, in his ** Handbook of Thera-
peutics," that "the sustained adminstration of
alkalies and their carbonates renders the blood
poorer in solid and in red corpuscles and
impairs the nutrition of the body." Of

go COCOA : all about it.

ammonia, carbonate of ammonia, and spirits of
ammonia he says : *' These preparations have
many properties in common with the alkaline
potash and vSoda group. They possess a strong
alkaline reaction, are freely soluble in water,
have a high diffusion power, and dissolve the
animal textures."

One word with respect to the names
"Cocoa" and ''Chocolate." Cacao, or Cocoa,
Is the commercial name by which the plant
and the fruit is known all over the world ;
therefore It directly applies to pure preparation
of the fruit. When mixed with sugar or any
other substance it cannot logically retain Its
original name, and the public have accepted
this reasoning by asking for " Chocolate "
when they require sweetened Cocoa. It would
save much confusion if this rule was accepted
and acted upon by manufacturers, or even
enforced by Act of Parliament.

Much more might be written on the subject
of adulteration, and we trust it will still claim
the careful attention of those Interested in
the supply of pure and wholesome food.

Vanilla Aromatica.— i, branch with flowers, 2, branch with fruit. 3, section of
fruit showing the three placentae and indefinite seeds.

VANILLA AROMATICA.

-:o:-

?^^^^^*^5 AXILLA Is so Intimately con-
^^'^r ;> nected with the manufacture of
'k^^^L-f^fi chocolate, that the subject Is
hardly complete without some allusion to It
in this place.

The name Is derived from Vaynllla, which
in Spanish, signifies a little knife, or scissor
case, in reference to the shape of the pod.

Its natural habitat Is the mountainous parts
of Brazil. It Is now cultivated In larp^e
(juantltlcs In otlu^r parts of the tropical world,
the principal sources of supply coming from
the French Colony of Reunion, Mauritius,
and Seychelles, Bourbon, the West Indies,
Java, Ja[)an, and Madagascar, and within the

94 COCOA : ALL ALOUT IT.

past few years Ceylon and India all con-
tribute to our supply. Mexico, from whence
the principal supply used to flow, has almost
ceased to grow Vanilla, owing to the compar-
atively low prices now obtained for It.

There are many species of this lovely and
fragrant plant which belongs to the genera
of Orchidaceous plants ; but they differ In
some respects to orchids generally, as the
stem will grow to the height of from twenty to
thirty feet. In climbing up the trees, the roots
which they put forth as holdfasts are capable
of absorbing nutriment for the plant when
other modes of supply are cut off.

The places chosen for a plantation are
shaded and warm ravines in high damp
forests, taking for protectors trees with a soft
bark, into which the roots may easily penetrate.

It is interesting, in connection with our
subject, to hear from one who has cultivated
the plant that he has seen it growing freely
round the stem of the Cocoa tree like a hop.

Vanilla Aromatica and V, Plani folia arc

VANILLA ARO^LVTICA. 95

the species from which the best kind of
Vanilla is grown for commerce. The
leaves are thick and fleshv, as are also the
llowers, which are of a whitish-green colour.

The sweet perfume of Its fruit Is perceptible
at a great distance, and attracts numbers of
brilliantly coloured birds that dispute for the
seeds when the fruit opens.

The Chica Vanilla of Panama is yielded by
another orchid, a species of sobralla. The
expressed juice of V. claviciLlata, a native of
mountainous woods In the West Indies, is
applied to recent wounds, and is hence called
by the French In St. Domingo Lianc a
blcssurcs. There Is a species known as zizpic
In Yucatan, which is a great ornament of the
ccnotes, or subterranean water caverns of the
country. These singular caverns are some-
times entirely subterranean, and are then, of
course, without vegetation ; frequently, how-
ever, they are more or less open at the top,
when they are often of surpassing beauty,
on account of the luxuriant development of
vegetable life which they contain. To these

96 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

ceiiotes the few ferns of Yucatan are almost
confined, and It Is here that this Vanilla attains
perfection. The pods are occasionally taken
to market at Valladolld, where they may be
bought at an almost nominal price.

Vanilla was not known in Europe until
after the discovery of America, and little or
nothing was known of the plant that produced
it till 1 703, when it was described by Plumler.

De Menonville, who travelled to Guaxaca
in 1777, thus describes his discovery of
Vanilla In that district. After various
hindrances and disappointments, he says : —
*' At length an Indian, with a hoe in his
hand, made his appearance. ' Brother,' said
I, holding out a dollar, * show me some
Vanilla and this is yours.' He coolly bade
me follow him, and advancing a few steps
through the underwood into a thicket, in
which were a number of trees, he im-
mediately climbed up one, threw down to
me two pods of Vanilla perfectly ripe, and
])ointed out to me a branch on which several
others were hanging yet green, together

VANILLA AROMATICA. 97

with two faded flowers. The form of the
leaves, the fruit, the pecuHar smell of the
plant — everything convinced me it was the
real Vanilla in everything corresponding with
such as I had seen at Vera Cruz. All the
trees of this little copse were covered with it.
I saw a quantity of green fruit, but collected
no more than six specimens of these, and
four large pods which were ripe. I caused
the Indian afterwards to part from the root
some of the scions which had sprung up.
These I tied well together, wrapping up
the whole in the leaves of an arum, which at
their base are 3 feet wide. After thus pack-
ing a faggot, which weighed upwards of thirty
pounds, I placed It in my large sack, which I
fastened on my horse. I was so well satisfied
with my Indian that, besides what I promised
him, I gave him two reals in addition. For his
part, unwilling to be outdone in generosity,
he ran to his hut and brought me three
other pods of vanilla."

The Duke of Marlborough Introduced the
plant into this country in 1800, from whence

G

98 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

It made its way to the Continent where it is
grown, and made to bear abundance of fruit.

At Liege it is grown on a small scale, and
a plant cultivated at Paris in 1840 attained
the height of three yards, and yielded 1 1 7
pods, which ripened in twelve months. Fine
examples may be seen In the tropical and
economic houses at Kew. Mr. Ewing and
Mr. E. Bennett grew the Vanilla with con-
siderable success at Csberton ; the latter
gathered no less than 300 ripe pods off a
single plant in one season. He considers a
temperature of from 50 to 70 degrees to
be most suitable for it. He found it
necessary to effect fertilization by artificial
means, the stigma being prevented from
receiving the pollen of its own flower by
the interposition of an organ called the
retinacMlum,

This process, which in these climates is
obliged to be performed artificially, is done
naturally by insects in countries where the
plants were originally found in their wild
state.

VANILLA AROMATICA. 99

The fruit of the plant is a long bean or pod,
growing from four to twelve inches in length,
and containing an immense number of small
black granules, surrounded by a thick bal-
samous substance, which contains a peculiar
volatile oil, and a considerable quantity of
benzoic acid.

These give the delicious flavour and
aroma, which prove so powerful and
penetrating that a few ounces will flavour
one hundred-weight of Chocolate.

Vanilla acts as a slight stimulant in the
system, and the fact of its possessing benzoic
acid is one that should not be lost sight
of. It is said to be used by the Spanish
Physicians in America as an antidote to
poisons, and to the bite of venomous
creatures.

The harvest In Mauritius begins in July,
and as late as December in South America,
the fruit being gathered when yellow, and
after slight fermentation they are laid in the
sun to dry ; when about half dried, the pods

lOO COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

are rubbed with mahogany nut oil, and after
again being exposed to the sun are oiled a
second time.

In another mode of preparation, the fruit
for the market Is allowed to dry until the
pods have lost their yellowish green colour.
Straw mats, covered with woollen blankets,
are then laid on the ground, and when these
are warm, the fruits are spread on them and
exposed to the sun. After a time they are
wrapped in blankets, and placed in boxes
covered with cloth, after which they are again
exposed. In about twelve hours, the fruits
should become a dark coffee colour, but if
they do not the process is repeated.

About fifty pods are then tied tightly
together in a bundle, at each end, and once
round the centre, with a species of grass, and
packed In tins, which are hermetically sealed
for export.

After some months, the pods become en-
crusted with an effloresence of white crystals,
which possess properties similar to those in

VANILLA AROMATICA. lOI

benzoic acid ; they form very beautiful ob-
jects when seen through a microscope with
polarized light.

There are various plans used for the dry-
ing and preparing the pods. All the care
and success during the early cultivation may
easily be lost through want of knowledge or
watchfulness In these matters. We therefore
refer the reader to extracts from a paper
addressed to the Colonial Secretary, by the
Assistant Director of the Royal Botanical
Gardens, Mauritius, which gives a most
exhaustive account of the planting, water-
ing, ripening, harvesting, curing, and pre-
paration for the market. (See Appendix,)

The South American wild Vanilla, or
Vanlllon, as It Is generally called, Is the
variety V. Sylvestris, and is a much larger
and coarser variety than those grown for
commerce. In some parts of Brazil the
women entwine this species of Vanilla bean
in their hair ; a weakness fdr fragrance that
is common all the world over, although in
this case It hardly fits In with our ideas of
good taste.

I02 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

A great variety of spices are used for the
flavoring of Chocolate, but Vanilla still holds
the palm. In Brooke's translation from the
French, 1730, he tells us : — *' The Spaniards
try'd to make it (Cocoa) more agreeable by
the addition of sugar, some Oriental spices
and things that grow there, which It will be
needless to mention — there Is none continued
down to us but Vanilla ; in like manner
that Cinnamon Is the only spice which has
had general approbation, and remains in the
composition of Chocolate."

The old French writer is very strong in
his denunciation of Vanilla, as he goes on to
say : — ''Whereas Chocolate season'd with
Vanilla, and other hot and biting Ingredients,
cannot but be pernicious, especially In
summer, to young people, and to dry
constitutions."

The French still name Chocolate prepared
without Vanilla *' Chocolat Sante," but we
have fortunately lived down this prejudice,
and Vanilla reigns supreme among all
ingredients used to flavour Chocolate,

VANILLA AROMATICA. IO3

It has already been intimated, with respect
to the growth of Vanilla in Mexico, that prices
have fallen so considerably that it barely pays
to grow the crop in that country. Many years
ago prices ranged as high as 1 20/- per pound
on the market ; the highest price now does
not realise one fourth that sum. This is due
to the introduction of a beautiful crystalline
substance called Vanilline, which coincides
in almost every particular with the active
principles contained in Vanilla.

The distinctive aroma is so nearly the same
that when incorporated with Chocolate it is
difficult to distinguish with which it has been
flavored. It would, however, be going too
far to assert that it is equal in aromatic and
fruity flavour to Vanilla.

One ounce of Vanilline crystals are about
equal in flavoring power to one pound ol
good Vanilla beans, the market value Is
therefore about in the proportion of sixteen
to one.

Vanilline, of which the chemical formula is
C" H' O^ is prepared from Conifcrine, which

I04 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

is to be found in considerable quantities in
the plants of the numerous family of the
Conifers.

Conlferlne was discovered by Hartig in
1 86 1 in the sap of the Larix Europea ; later
on, its presence was recognised in all species
of pines and firs.

In 1874 Messrs. Haarman and TIemann
showed that the Conlferlne, under the in-
fluence of oxydizing agents properly chosen,
could be made to produce Vanllllne, which is
no other than the aromatic principle of the
Vanilla pod. This discovery has given a
certain industrial importance to Conlferlne,
and it has already been collected by hundreds
of kilogrammes in the forests of North
Germany.

The first consignments of Vanllllne were
between 1874 and 1878 and were prepared
by a patent process, that is to say by the
oxidization of the Conferlne. This Is only to
be found in the descending sap of the pines,
so in the spring Incisions were made at the

VANILLA AROMATICA. IO5

base of the trees and the sap which flows from
them was collected ; it was then filtered and
exposed to the air, when it soon became solid.
In this state it constitutes the Conferine, which
could be preserved indefinitely and made use
of when required for its transformation into
Vanilline.

The more modern and advantageous plan
IS to fell the tree, cut off the branches, and
strip them of their bark. The sap is then
collected by scraping the trunk with a sharp
instrument — an iron scraper or a knife — and
the liquid, as it oozes out is absorbed by a
coarse sponge, and then squeezed into a tin
bucket. If too long a time elapses between
these two processes the evaporation is rapid
enough to solidify the juice and then it cannot
be collected. The sap presents the appear-
ance of a white milky opaque liquid, and in
its normal state contains a particular sugar,
albumen, and Conferine. In order to prevent
fermentation it ouorht after five, or six hours
at the most to be boiled in a furnace from ten
to fifteen minutes, so as to congeal the
albumen it contains. The boiling liquid is

I06 COCOA : ALL ABOUT IT.

filtered through a coarse flannel or baize bag,
and the filtered liquid is then evaporated to
the fifth part of the original quantity. It Is
then allowed to cool gently in a shady place
for one night ; It then deposits very small
white crystals of Vanllllne. In order to
collect them the liquid is thrown upon a linen
cloth, and when the crystals are sufficiently
drained they are pressed in order to squeeze
out the brown syrup which colours them and
prevents their drying.

The Vanllllne obtained by this method is
identical with the crystals already described
as forming on the Vanilla pod, the chemical
constitution of the one being identical with
the others, as also their physical properties.

APPENDIX.

Extracts from a paper addressed to the
Colonial Secretary by Mr. N. Cantley,
Assistant Director of the Royal Botanical
Gardens, Mauritius, and supplied by Messrs.
Brookes and Green, Brokers, Mincing
Lane, London.

July 23, 1874.
Sir,

I have the honor to lay before you the following
details respecting the cultivation of the Vanilla Plant
( V. Flanifolia) as practised by the principal growers io
this Colony, viz.: —

PREPARING THE GROUND FOR PLANTING.

The plant will grow tolerably well in any porous soil,
still it has been found by practical growers that a
composition consisting of equal parts of well decomposed
leaves, loam, sand, and charcoal, is best suited to the

Io8 APPENDIX.

wants of the plant, and when this can be obtained
trenches should be made the entire length of the ground
intended for the plantation, i8 inches wide, 2 feet deep,
and 8 feet apart, and filled previous to planting with the
composition just alluded to. Some growers put only a
small quantity of the composition into the trenches the
first season, or sufficient to give the plants a start, adding
the remainder year by year, by way of surface dressing,
but this is objectionable in countries subjected to heavy
periodical rains, as the trenches often stand full of water
during such rains, greatly to the injury of the plants ; it is,
cherefore, safer to fill the trenches the first year, or when
the plants are planted.

SHADE.

The Vanilla, like the rest of the orchidaceal, delight in
shade, a fact which at once suggests that it ought to be
planted among trees sufficiently large to screen it from
the direct rays of the sun, but where such trees are not
available young trees must be planted, and now arises
the question, what will grow quickest in order that the
Vanilla may be planted as soon as possible ? The plants
most commonly used for this purpose in Mauritius are
the Lilas de VTude of the Creoles, Melia Azadarech, and
Tecoma Lencoxylon, and are planted 8 feet apart, as
permanent plants, but when these are only a few inches
high when planted it is evident that a period of at least
three years must elapse before any considerable amount
of shade can be expected from them, and this would
delay the planting of the Vanilla an equal length of time
had not the planters access to another olant, the Pignoi\

APPENDIX. 109

de I Tilde of the Creoles (Tatropha Curcus), which is of
extremely rapid growth, but of no permanent nature ; it
is easily increased by cuttings of the branches, which are
generally cut in lengths of 2 feet, and planted, 18 inches
apart, in line with the Lila and Tecoma plants previously
mentioned, and as they will very soon produce leaves, some
growers plant the Vanilla at the same time, and train it
under the shade oi Pignon de FTude.

It is better to wait until the Pignon de FTude be
sufficiently strong to allow of the trellis work being
erected. Where dead palm leaves are plentiful some
growers screen the whole plantation at the first outset,
and plant the Vanilla at once, but it is not often that
leaves are to be had in sufficient quantity to allow of this
being done, and, again, it is ten to one if the first strong
wind does not destroy the whole construction.

PLANTING.

The usual method of planting Vanilla is by cuttings of
the stems of strong healthy plants, and if cut in lengths
of 3 feet, they will generally produce fruit 18 months
after planting. Plantations are generally made during
the months of October and November, in Mauritius, or
at the commencement of the hot season, when the sap,
after a season of comparative rest, is being stimulated by
the increasing heat into renewed action. As the rapidity
of growth greatly depends on the nurrjber of roots, care
must be taken that three joints (nodes) of the cutting be
placed on the ground, in an oblique direction, and from
these joints a plentiful supply of roots will be given out,
which must be treated as hereafter stated.

no APPENDIX.

TRAINING, OR ARTIFICIAL SUPPORT.

The rapidity with which the Vanilla plant grows when
its roots have free action in a suitable soil is somewhat
amazing, it is therefore no question that, if some system
of artificial training be not resorted to, it must very soon
outgrow the plants which are intended to shade it. Few
trees can keep pace with the Vanilla plant, and even
were it otherwise, it would not be advisable to let the
plant grow straight up, because they would very soon
get out of reach in this position, so that a ladder would
have to be used in gathering the pods, fertilizing, &:c., but,
on the other hand, the plants ought to be allowed to run
straight up until they arrive at about 6 feet in height, as
it is well known that the more perpendicular the plant be
the quicker will it grow. But to prevent this taking place
poles of about 7 feet in length are driven into the ground,
perpendicularly, about 8 feet apart, and when well firmed
horizontal bars are attached to them, one foot apart. As
soon as the Vanilla has reached the top of this con
struction it is trained along the horizontal bars and thus
prevented from getting too much sun.

WATERING.

The quantity of water required is greatly modified by
the state of the weather and kind of soil in which the
plants are growing, but if planted in the composition
previously recommended, a good watering twice a week
in the hot season, and once a week in the cold season,
will be generally found sufficient, but should never be
given until the ground be found thoroughly dry, as
nothing will kill the plants sooner than stagnant water at
their roots.

APPENDIX. Ill

MANURING AND SURFACE DRESSING.

Of the various manures applied to the Vanilla, nothing
has been found to suit the plants better than vegetable
mould, especially when mixed with a little charcoal or
wood ashes, and the plants will be greatly benefited by
a surface dressing of this manure in the second year of
the plantation, at which date, should any of the roots be
found to have penetrated the natural soil lying between
the trenches it should be turned over with a digging fork,
adding at the same time a liberal quantity of manure, but
should the roots be found not to have reached such soil,
it will be sufficient to remove the surface to a depth of
about 2 inches, and 2 feet in width on each side of the
Vanilla stems, and replace with manure.

FERTILIZATION.

Self fertilization in the Vanilla, especially in
V. Plariifolia^ is of rare occurrence to any useful extent
owing to the intervention of the reticulum, which is a
portion of the inner face of the style, which makes
artificial fertilization an indispensable process, and which
simply consists in removing the pollen from the anthers
of the flower and applying it to the stigma with a small
camel hair brush, this is best done about mid-day during
bright sunny weather.

A brush is used in England, but the anther itself may
be applied. Some growers look after the fertilization in
the cool of the morning, if this be preferred a dry
morning should be chosen.

112 APPENDIX.

DURATION OF THE PERIOD OF RIPENING.

The duration of the period of ripening from time of
fertilization is generally about nine months, when the
pods become of a yellowish green colour, and the valves
show a tendency to open (dehise) at the lower extremity,
which is a sure sign of ripeness.

HARVESTING THE PODS.

Most of the pods are harvested in Mauritius during
the month of July, but as the plants come into flower
very irregularly, all the pods cannot be harvested at the
same time, so that those found unripe at the first
gathering must be waited for until they show the usual
signs of ripeness, for if gathered sooner they will shrivel
during the process of drying, and fetch but a small price
in the market, should any of the pods, however, be left
on the plant until the valves have opened (if more than
half an inch they are useless) they should be at once
removed, the opening part tied up, and plunged for a
moment in boiling water, and afterwards put through the
usual process of drying with the other pods.

DRYING AND PREPARING THE PODS.

The drying and preparing of the pods is undoubtedly
a most difficult item in Vanilla cultivation, and if not
thoroughly understood all previous labour with the plant
will be lost.

The different methods of preparation, as practised in
Mauritius, are more or less as follows. A large oven

APPENDIX. 113

(similar to that in which ordinary bread is baked) with
two valves on the top, and a thermometer fixed in the iron-
work in front, is heated by the application of fire beneath
until the thermometer indicates a heat of 40 degrees
centigrade, or 104 degrees fahrenheit. The fire is then
withdrawn, and pods, in quantity of about 60 or 70 lbs.
together, are well wrapped in Banana leaves, which are
again covered with a woollen cloth, and placed in the
oven, where they are allowed to remain until the mercury
of the thermometer falls to about 90 degrees fahrenheit,
after which they are removed and placed in a wooden
box to sweat, and cooled gradually ; when nearly cold
they are exposed to the sun on boards covered with
blankets, which when warmed by the sun, the pods are
spread on them.

Some growers, instead of letting the pod be exposed to
the direct rays of the sun, cover them with a black
woollen cloth, which by absorbing the great amount of
heat from the sun, as well as moisture from the pod,
modifies the process of drying, and imparts to the fruits
a more superior flavor and color than they otherwise
would have ; after being thus exposed for two or three
days, they ought to be of a dark brown, or coffee colour,
they are next laid on perforated shelves in an airy room,
where they are allowed to remain for one month, or until
dry, when they will be found to have shrunk to one
fourth of their natural size, and of a blackish hue with a
somewhat silvery appearance.

K

f

114 APPENDIX.

PREPARING THE PODS FOR MARKET.

In preparing the pods for market those of a size are
carefully selected, and tied in bundles of fifties, good
marketable pods are about 8 inches long, and 50 of those
will generally weigh three-quarters of a pound, the
smaller pods, half-a-pound. After being thus arranged
they are packed in tins, about 12 or 16 lbs. each, and
sent to the London market.

A D VER T I SEMEN TS.

GOLD MEDALy Health Exhibition^ London j

HIGHEST A WARD, Adelaide, 1887.

BENGER'S
FOOD

For infants,

CHILDREN,

AND INVALIDS.

The most Delicious, Nuh^itive, and Dio^estible.

EXTRACTS FROM PRIVATE LETTERS.

"Really I consider that, humanely speaking, ' Bknger's Food' entirely
saved baby's life. I have tried four other well-known Foods, but in this
horrible climate he could digest nothing until we began the 'iienger.' He
s now rosy, and fattening rapidly."

" Black Hall, Oxford, November nth, 1890. — Sir, I cannot help
expressing myself on the subject of your most admirable food. I have been
much benefited by its invigorating f)owers. About two months ago 1 was
told by my friends that 1 had lost flesh and was not looking myself. My
medical man advised me to try Benger's Food, and in the course of a few
weeks my health was completely restored. Please make any use of this
you like. 1 am, yours gratefully, B. C. JOHNSON.

ReUil in TINS-i'6, 2 '6, 5/1 and 10/-, of Chemists, &c,

WHOLESALE OF ALL WHOLESALE HOUSES.

A D VER TIE EM EN TS.

OSLER'S

CRYSTJIL GLJISS.
CJ1IJJJI.

ELECTIIIC LIGJITING

FOR PRIVA TE HOUSES.

ESTIMATES FREE OF CHARGE.

SHOW ROOMS- I

Illuminated with Electric Lamps of the Newest Design,

100, OXFORD STREET, W.

Manufactory— BIRMINGHAM. Estab. 7807.

»*» Messrs. OSLER will be happy to send Patterns of f
Illustrations Free of Charge.

AD VER TISEMENTS.

W^\,tn tht pit d^^^^^^^m ^ ^ht |rr«t0£« of

BIRD'S

CUSTARD

POWDER

Supplies a Daily Luxury —

Dainties in Endless Variety —

The Choicest Dishes and the
Richest Custard.

NO EGGS REQUIRED III

BUY YOUR PRESENTS DIRECT.

Williams & Company

Manufacturing Goldsmiths and SHuersmiths,

Now supply the Public Direct with Gold and Silver Articles of the Highest Class of

Workmanship, straight from their Birmingham Workshops at Manufacturers'

Wholesale Prices, representing a bona-fide saving of 30 to 50 per cent.

Guaranteed

by the
Govemynent
Hall Mark.

SPECIALTIES IN

SOLID SILYER

AND ELECTEO PLATE.

Highest-Class

Quality

and

Workmanship.

Mebbing, anb CbristeniuG presents, :fi3irtbt)a^
ant) Contplintentary Gitts.

Ornamental and Useful. The Latest and Choicest Designs in Endlesss Variety
to Suit all Purses.

SOLID SILVER (Hall-Marked) Afternoon Sugar Basin and Cream Ewer,
richly Chased and Embossed, Indian Pattern, Gilt Inside, £3 6s. the pair.

SILVER BACK (Hall-Marked)

Hair Brush. Fluted Pattern,

£\ 10s.

Parcels of Silver Goods and Electro-plate are sent Carriage Paid, on approval,
to any Address in the United Kingdom, and as an assurance of good faith the money
for any article not approved will be refunded, providing the article be promptly returned,

CARRIAGE PAID on all Parcels in the United Kingdom.

WILLIAMS ^ COMPANY, Newhall, St., Birmingham.

A SAVING OF 30 TO 5© PER CENT.

Williams & Company

specialties in Solid Silver & Electro- Plate.

SOLID bIL\ LR (Hall-niarkcti^ Toa>t Rack £2 5s.

SOLID SILVER

Antique Muffineers

£1 5s.

SOLID SILVER (Hall-
marked) Muffiners, £,\ 7s. 6d. SOLID SILVER (Hall-marked) Napkin Ring,
the pair. chased and pierced, 17s. 6d. each.

Williams & Company manufacture Electro-Silver Plated Goods, strongly coated
with Pure Silver on a base of the finest Nickel ; equal in every respect in design and
appearance to Solid Silver, and unsurpassed for quality and price.

Williams & Company guarantee the durability of their Silver and Electro-Plate
Ware, and caution the Public that it is very difficult for any one but a trained
EILpert to detect Inferior Goods in the first gloss of thair newness especially where,
as in so many cases, such Goods are got up only with a view to sale.
Applications inrnted for any Article of Silver Ware, for which Sketches and Desit^ns
If ill lye submitted and Manufacturers Cash Prices. Carriage Paid on all Orders.

Williams & Company, "s.:::" Birmingham

Chtqtus and Postal Orde»'s to be made payabU to '" Williams i^ Company,"
crossed "Bank ok England."

The Public are respectfully inxnted to compare the above Prices ivith those ef
similar articles at States or Retail Establishments, and are requested to mention
"Cocoa '■ in replies to this Advertisement.

A D VER T I SEMEN TS.

a

THE

RATIONAL"

CORSET BODICE

Ladies who study their health and that of their children wil
find the "Raiional" Corded Cor>et Bodice far superior to
the ordinary hard, stifFCorset,from which it is distinguished by
its great pliability and the ease with which it can be washed.
The "Rational" Corset Bodice "Fits like a Glove,"
and relieves the hips of the weight of the skirts.

Especially useful for Growing'
Girls and Young- Ladies, giving all
needful support without undue
pressure.

T/u most Apprcmed, Hygienically
Jor Ladies.

VOUNG LADIES STYLE.

FOR CHILDREN.

White or Drab

2YRS. 8YRS. I4YRS. Y'nG LADIES. LADIES.

2/- 2/6 3/- 3/9 4/6 6/6

Scarlet Lasting 3/- 3/6 4/- 5/6 6/6 9/6

Sanitary Woollen 3/- 4/- 5/- 6/6 7/6 9/6

Of all Drapers and Ladies' Outfitters. Post Free 3d. Extra,

CHILDREN S STYLE.

ai to zy-inch Waists.

See That Each Pair is Stamped " RATIONAL.

Wholesale

ONLY,

} SHARP, PERRIN & C0.,{

31, OLD CHANGE,
LONDON, E.G.

POLISHING A PLEASURE II

STEPHENSON'S

WILL NOT
FINGER MARK.

FURNITURE

imple Bottles Free by /^ T") T^ \\![
Post on Application. I l\L!/i\iVl.

SOLD Vt

Chemists,

Grocers,
Ironmongers, &c.

SoU Proprietor: STEPHENSON BEOS., Bradford.

AD VER TISEMENTS.

CARRIAGE BUILDING OF THE HIGHEST CLASS.

Rock, Hawkins & Thorpe,

For Home-made Carriages, Broughams,
Landaus, Victorias, Dog Carts, &c.— Combining
all Modern Improvements -- Elegance, Style,
Soundness, Extreme Durability, the Best
Workmanship, with STRICTLY ECONOMICAL
PRICES.

THE SQUARE-FRONTED BROUGHAM.

Seats Four Persons comfortably, even in the One-horse size, and fitted with
roof luggage basket, is a most useful and convenient carriage.

We have had great experience in Fitting-up Carta for Curricle Driving.

All Carriages sold by us are built at our own Factories, under our own personal
supervision, and we can guarantee them to be entirely free from, all the defects
of cheap workmanship and carelessly selected materials, which are so evident in
many of the Carriages sold to-day.

Designs for Sp>ecial Carriages, with Ejtimates and particulars on Application.

ROCK, HAWKINS & THORPE,

London Depot: 24, BAKER STREET, VV.

Factoriea-HASTINGS.

Our complete Catalogue, Illustrated with every description of Modam
Carriages, sent POST FREE.

A D VER T I SEMEN TS.

Gold Medals, Diplomas, and Highest Awards wherever exhibited, for
Absolute Purity, Superiority of Ma,nufacture and True Flavour,

RMOUR'S

Extract of Beef

Retains the True Natural Taste

and Stimulating Properties of

Freshly-Cooked Prime Beef.

EsTAB. 1824] LATEST HONOURS— [Estab. 1824.

HIGHEST AWARD— Paris, Melbourne, and Barcelona; Gold Medall
Diplomas, and Certificates wherever Exhibited.

Ncedham's^>

*yolisliiTi

The reputation
of nearly a
Century as the
most reliable
preparation for
Cleaning and
Brilliantly Polishing

BRASS, COPPER, TIN,

BRITANNIA METAL,

PLATINOID, &c

CAN BE OBTAINED RETAIL EVERYWHERE

Inventors and Sole Manufacturers—

JOSEPH PICKERING & SONS, SHEFFIELD.

London OfficeST. GEORGE'S HOUSE, EASTCHEAP, E.C,

^astc

A D VER TISEMENTS.

Dont Boil your Linen to Rags.

A big family wash well and quickly done with

SINCLAIR'S

SOAP

without the

Horrible Smell and

Wretchedness of a

Steamy House.

NO BOILING.

A lAdy writing to the Qnetn
Mvs:— 1 flnrl SINCLAIR'SSOAP
is a great saving in time and
mateiiiil, as the clolhea
require less rubbing and
no boiling, with the still
more satisfactory result of
beinw a very much PURER
COLOUR than with the
ordinary soap. 1 wish to
recommend it to evf-ry
housewife. Its cleansing

froperties far exceed wny
ever hope to use, and the
economy, in time and coal
is Will worth while.

Sinclair's Soap is
sold at the low price
of /\.d. per large bar.
Ask for it everywhere.

A Sample Bar
Carriage Paid to any
Address in the L'nited
Kingdom for Six
Stamps.

SLN'CLAIR'S WHOLESALE DEFOT, SOUTHWARK, LONDON.

AD VER TISEMENTS.

KNITTING WOOLS & SILKS.

Ladies should buy all
their Wools, Silks, Under-
garments, &c. , at Mill Prices
direct from the Spinners and
Manufacturers. The PRO-
VIDENCE MILLS
SPINNING Co., BRAD.
FORD. Their goods are
manufactured and spun
under personal supervision,
and are confidently recom-
mended as thoroughly sub-
stantial and hard-wearing
materials. PATTERNS
, POST FREE.

Carriage Paid on all
orders of los. andupwards%

' Mention this Paper,

Write for Catalogue to the

Providence Mills
Spinning Co.,
Bradford, Yorks.

" An exceptionally
strong Linen that will
last for many years."—
The Queen.

Huckaback Diaper
and Damask Tcnvels,
Fringed and Hem*
stitched Totvels, Huck-
aback an d Fancy
Towe lings, Birds-Ey*
and Nursery Diaper,
Glass and Tea Cloths,
Embroidery Linens,
and A rt Linens,

The " Old Bleach " Linens are renowned all over the world for superiority of
manufacture, exquisite finish, and honest soundness, holding the first rank among
the highest class of pure Irish Linen Goods — a genuine revival of the excellent old*
fashioned grass-bleached Linens of the past generation, which lasted a lifetime.

THE "OLD BLEACH" LINENS

Are kept in stock by all first-class Drapers throug^hout Great
Britain and the United States. Ask to see them, and judg^e for
yourself.

AD VRR TISEMENTS,

PERFECTED
AND

MALT- OIL

An intimate combination of Allen & Hanburys' Malt Extract with their well-
cnown Cod-Liver Oil. A valuable nutrient and restorative in which, practically, all
iavour of the Oil is eflfectually overcome.

r ^

^

T^.

^ T«A0E~*«5,'-1 MARKS. '<:2jff

5l"' »h. use rf such rot-formma aiiHeot P -^
' *■" " Biis preparation offonls. J^

fCe/Tt

takta eLam. tnaxtd wdh (■
*

.ALLEN i» HANBU

d^&OUQMl

;i.-^-*V?4^lii:

BYNOL is a perfect form for the
administration of Cod-Liver Oil, in
that the oil beingin astateof infinitely
fine sub-division is readily assimi-
lated, and the tendency to sickness,
sometimes caused by the Oil in its
natural condition, is overcome. No
better means can be adopted for
taking Cod-Liver Oil and assuring
its effectual and easy digestion.

BYNOL can be freely taken
even in warm weather without
cjiving rise to nausea or causing
ructations.

Put up in Jars,
2s. and 3s. 6d. each.

ALLEN &HAPURYS

PLOUGH COURT,
Lombard Street, London.

AD VER TISEMENTS.

WHOOPING COUGH

Instantly Relieved and Quickly Cured.

PAGE'S

ft'tZ'^.',/^; PATENT

VJIPORISER

AND

CRESOLEJIE.

Children, by simply breathing the vapour of Cresolene, obtain in a few seconds extra-
ordinarj' relief in Whooping Cough, and the disorder is rapidly put an end to, generally
in a few days. It is a perfectly safe remedy, and will not harm the youngest child.
Cresolene is most valuable in Asthma, Catarrh , Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, Hay Fever, &c.
Cresolene is claimed to be the most powerful antiseptic & disinfectant at present known.

Vaporiser, with LampComplete, and 2-oz. Bottle of Cresolene 7/6 Post Free in the
United Kingdom ; or can be obtained through any Chemist. The Cresolene can be had
separately in Bottles at 1/4 & 2/6. |^g°° Ask your Chemist for Descriptive Circular.

Sole Agents for Europe— ALLEN & HANBURY'S, Plough Court, LONDON.

CHILDREN
ALWAYS LIKE

BRAGG'S

In Tins, is.
2s. & 4s.

CHARCOAL BISCUITS

For Acidity, Flatulence, &c.— They speedily eradicate Worms.

BRAGG'S VEGETABLE CHARCOAL

Should always be i rthe house. It is a sure, safe, and simple remedy for Indigestion
and all Affections of the Liver, Stomach and Bowels, absorbing all impurities, and
giving a healthy tone to the whole system.

In Bottles, 2s., 4s. and 6s. OF ALL CHEMISTS.

Sole Manufacturer— J. L. BRAGG, 14, Wigmore Street, LONDON. W.

SIX GOLD MEDALS AWARDED.

St FOR MORE THAN
^^ HALF-A-CENTURY
this Powder has sus-
tained an unrivalled
reputation throughotit
the United Kingdom
and Colonies as the
Best and Safest Article for cleaning Silver and Electro-plate. Sold in Boxes,
1/-, 2/6 & 4/6 each. Also Godu.akd's Kl kmturk Cream for Cleaning
and Polishing all kinds of Cabinet Furniture. — Sold in Bottles, 6d. and
IS. each, by Chemists, Grockks, Irunmungers, &c.

brary

^^B . 3 70,,

UAP '^ '^ ^^'^ft

WIAh '

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^lOV 2 3 1989

JAN 1 9 1972

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OCT 2 ^ -"^

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FORM 310

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UNIVERSITY OF B C LIBRARY

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