rust them to an unlimited extent, taking a lien upon their
crops. Sometimes the plantations are of vast extent, and one can
walk for miles along the river, from one to another, as freely as
through an orchard. No doubt a scientific cultivator might make the
raising of cacao very profitable, and elevate its quality to that of
Guyaquil."

Cacao shipped from Brazil to the United Kingdom, for nine years,
ending 1835:--

lbs.
1827 3,992,449
1828 1,174,168
1829 2,442,456
1830 1,308,694
1831 1,716,614
1832 2,198,709
1833 2,402,803
1834 1,591,600
1835 1,678,769

_Cultivation in the West India Islands_.--The only English colonies
where this nutritious and wholesome substance is now cultivated to any
extent, are Trinidad, St. Lucia, Grenada, and St. Vincent.

In Jamaica and British Guiana it has given place to the production of
sugar, and though it forms such an important article in the imports
and consumption of the United Kingdom, the quantity introduced from
British plantations is barely equal to the demand. The imports from
Jamaica in 1831 were 6,684 lbs., and in 1838, 16,564 lbs.; while the
imports since have been merely nominal. Of 5,014,681 lbs. imported in
1841, 2,920,298 lbs. were furnished by the British West Indian
colonies, 1,802,547 lbs. came from the Colombian republics, and
269,794 lbs. were brought from Brazil. Trinidad furnishes by far the
largest proportion of the West Indian supplies, the imports from
thence in 1841 having been 2,500,000 lbs., while the imports from all
the other islands were but 427,000 lbs. In 1850, 4,750,000 lbs. were
shipped from Trinidad, whilst in 1851 the quantity was nearly as much.

Trinidad.--Although this tree is indigenous to many, if not most of
the tropical parts of America, it was first extensively cultivated in
Mexico; and it is remarkable that the words cacao and chocolate are
both of Mexican origin. From Mexico the variety called Creole cacao it
is supposed was transplanted to the West India colonies; that variety
called Forastero (stranger) came from the Brazils. The latter tree is
the most productive, but the former gives the best fruit, insomuch
that few persons now plant the Forastero cacao. There are two or
three indigenous species found growing wild in the forests of
Trinidad, viz., _T. Sylvestris cacao_, _T. Guianensis_, and another
sort.

There are few, perhaps no agricultural or horticul