Science, Art, And The Drama.

Science , Art , and the Drama .

CACAO CULTURE IN ECUADOR .

( Continued ) . _ As soon as the pods begin to ripen they are removed with pruning knives , very sharp , and attached lo the ends of long poles , which are lengthened by joints as often as required . As the twigs are very tough the blow with this instrument must be strong and well aimed , and the labourers must be experienced , on account of the particular skill that is required , and

the fatigue that attends handling heavy poles , sometimes 30 feet high , with the face continually upturned . Whenever they can be reached the pods are cut ofl" with a machete . A good deal of cacao is lost by the carelessness of the labourer , and his disinclination to deal with the pods in the upper branches . The pods are heaped in piles by one set of labourers , while another cuts them open and extracts the contents . A sharp pruning knife

is used , and the seeds are often damaged ^ through carelessness . For extracting the gummy substance and the seeds an implement made of an ox rib is used . The drying is done on open platforms made of split bamboo and palms , where the cacao is exposed to the sun during three or four days , and , in order that it may dry uniformly and well , labourers are employed to tread it out with bare feet . If not well dried the bean is apt to ferment ;

and if excessively dried , it shrinks and finally turns black . The dryers are provided ^ wiih covers for protection against rain . Attempts have been made to introduce drying machinery ( steam ) , but , at present , not one plantation in Ecuador uses it . When dried in the primitive fashion stated a great deal of pulp still achering to the grain , the cacao is put into sacks and sent to Guayaquil to be sold in its natural state . Some merchants , it is said ,

attempt to deceive the buyer by washing an inferior bean in achiote , which gives the skin the appearance of first-class cacao , but this practice is severely condemned by honest merchants and is seldom followed , nor is reddish earth used in Ecuador as it is elsewhere for the purpose of preserving the grain from decomposition and of increasing its weight . Reaching Guayaquil the cacao is subjected to the cleaning process . Splinters , dirt , and defective

beans are eliminated , and the adhering clusters of beans broken apart and dried several times before shipment . During this process the cacao loses four to five per cent , in weight . The sacks for foreign shipment contain from Co to 70 kilogrammes ( 132 to I 54 lbs . ) net . The largest portion of the crop is bought in advance by Guayaquil merchants engaged in this business , who lend considerable sums of money during the year for current

expenses of cacao estates . Large capital is necessary , and the number of merchants engaged in the business is limited . The profits of a plantation depend chiefly on the quality of the land , management , and proximity to market ; but it may be reckoned approximately at from 40 to 50 per cent , per annum on the capital invested , which will continue lor an indefinite period , cacao trees lasting for several generations . The price of land varies

greatly and depends on the caprice or need of the seller . Land adapted to cacao cultivation covers an area of some 19 . 600 square miles in the coast provinces of Ecuador . A very small proportion of available land is now under cultivation , although there are large tracts adjoining important estates . The chief impediment to the rapid development of cacao

plantations in Ecuador , is the system of " peonage consietos , " or slavery in all but name , which is in vogue , whereby labourers are bought and sold openly for debts . The production of cacao in Ecuador has been increasing since 1 S 36 , and the crop in this year is expected to be nearly 30 , 000 tons , the chief producing province being Los Rios , these following in the order of their importance : Guayas , El Orio , Manavi , and Esmeraldas .

PIETRO TORREGIANO . ( Continued ) . Vasari states that Torregiano for his works , received such noble rewards , that if he had not been a proud , inconsiderate , ungovernable man , he might have lived in great felicity , and made a good end ; but the contrary happened , for leaving England and settling in Spain , after several performances there he was accused of being a heretic . In a passion he had

broken an image of the Virgin that he had just carved . Cumberland , in his Anecdotes of Spanish Painters , relates this story at large . " Torregiano had undertaken to carve a Madonna and child of the natural size at the _ order of a Spanish grandee ; it was to be made after the model of one which he had already executed , and a promise was given him of a reward proportioned to the merit of his work . His employer was the Duke d'Areas ,

one of the first grandees of Spain ; and Torregiano , who conceived highly of his generosity , and well knew what his own talents could perform , was determined to outdo his former work . He had passed a great part of his life in travelling from kingdom to kingdom , in search of employment , and flattering himself with the hope that he had now found a resting place after all his labours , the ingenious artist with much pains and application

completed the work , and presented to his employer a matchless piece of sculpture , the utmost t ( fort of his at t . The grandee surveyed the striking pertorm - ancewith greatdelightand reverence , applauded Torregiano to the skies ,, and impatient to possess himself of the enchanting work , forthwith sent to demand it . At the same time , to set off his generosity with a better display , he loaded two lacqueys with the money ; the bulk was promising , but when

the sculptor turned out the bags , and found the specie nothing but a parcel of brass maravedis , amounting only to 30 ducats , vexation upon the sudden disappointment of his hopes , and just resentment for what he considered as an insult to his merit so transported him , that snatching up his mallet in a rage , and not regarding the perfection ( or what was to him of more fatal consequence ) the sacred character of the image he had made , he broke it

suddenly to pieces , and dismissed the lacqueys , with their load of farthings , to tell the tale . They executed their errand too well . The grandee , in his turn , fired with shame , vexation , and revenge , and assuming , or , perhaps , conceiving , horror for the sacrilegious nature of the act , presented himself before the Inquisition , and impeached the artist at that terrible tribunal . It was in vain that Torregiano urged the right of an author over his own

creation . Reason pleaded at his side , but superstition sat in judgmentthe decree was death with torture . It is supposed that Torre ^ iano ' s case was aggravated in the eyes of the Holy Office by his having been resident in England and employed by King Henry VIII . The execution was indeed respited , but the artist became melancholy mad , and starved himself to death at Seville in i . S- ! - ' , in the 30 th year of his ago .

Science, Art, And The Drama.

DRURY LANE THEATRE . After a long and successful run , from Christmas to the present timei the pantomime of " Jack and the Beanstalk " has been withdrawn . It has been staged with great liberality under the able direction of Arthur Collins , by whose experienced management the previous pantomimes pro - duced have been so popular . " Jack and the Beanstalk " has been called the children ' s pantomime , and it is essentially so in the way in which the old

familiar story has bten treated . It appeals to the youthful minds of the visitors , who are pleased to recall the days when they were so delighted with the simple r . ursery legends . The musical director , Mr . Glover , Has furnished some very effective music , founded on the popular melodies of the day . With a wise discretion , he has , for the sake of giving impressive grandeur to the processions , drawn largely on Wagner ' s music , especially that

of the Lohengrin . The scenery is by Bruce Smith , Perkins , Harford , and others , and serves well to illustrate the incidents of the story . The characters are in the hands of the old-established favourites , who are so well known to the playgoing public . Mr . Dan Leno is Dame Trot ; Mr . Herbert Campbell is the overgrown child , Bobbie . It may easily be understood how largely they contribute to the comic element . Miss Violet Cameron takes the part of Jack , and by her beautiful singing makes the character

interesting . Messrs . Queen and Le Brun , who , in a dual capacity , represent the Cow , manage to furnish much fun by the antics of the animal . The Princess , Prince Racket , and Marjorie are undertaken by Misses Mabel Nelson , Rita Presano , and Mollie Lowell . The grand scene of the Land of Harmony at the end of Part 1 is very magnificent , and the introduction of the Aerial Troupe of the Grigolatis tends very materially to heighten the effect . Taking the production as a whole , we are not surprised at the deserved success it has achieved .

GENERAL NOTES . Of the many different sorts and sizes of the members of the monkey tribe there are none lo compare with the marmosets or tamarins in smallness of size , gentleness of disposition , and general beauty . To this group belong about 21 different species , cf which seven are considered as true marmosets and the other 14 as tamarins . Their differences are really so slight that a dividing line between them is not easily to be drawn . One of

the latter division is named the Pinchc monkey . It is , as are all its near relatives , a pretty little animal , and is most confiding in its nature if properly treated . The Pinche monkey , and , indeed , all the members of the marmoset or tamarin group , are inhabitants of South America , where they are found in the more tropical parts of the country . Their haunts are in the thickest forests , and , as a rule , they keep to the branches of the highest trees . They go about in small troops , and rarely come to the lower

branches or to the ground . If , however , they do venture to descend from their lofty abodes , they are always on the " qui vive ! " and being of an extremely nervous disposition , scamper back through the branches with most wonderful agility on the least sign of danger . The Pinchu monkey is more common on the sea coast than inland . Its food consists chiefly of fruit , but is varied , occasionally , with insects , birds' eggs , and even young birds .

About a fortnight ago , Mr . August Manns , the veteran conductor of the Crystal Palace orchestra , celebrated his 75 th birthday , and was the recipient of numerous tokens of esteem and congratulations from all quarters of the globe . At the Palace he was greeted with a prolonged outburst of applause when he appeared on the platform to conduct the concert . The occasion was also rendered doubly interesting by the performance of a newly-discovered orchestral suite by Tschaikowsky , " La Belle au Bois Dormante . "

It is pleasant to know that the new theatre in Great Queen-street is , at last , very near completion . It has been long talked about , and one wondered when Bro . Penley was going to take up his permanent abode with us . We call the theatre new , because there is nothing in it of the old Novelty except the outer walls . We have spent many interesting evenings there . It was there , for instance , that " Nita's First " had its original London production ,

there , that Solomon ' s comic opera " Polly was first seen and heard . Among the most notable of all pieces produced here was " Ibsen's Doll ' s House , " in which Miss Abchurch made her fame . Rumour states that Bro . Penley will open his new theatre with a revival of" A little ray of Sunshine , " which had such a long and successful run some time ago at the Royalty Theatre . We heartily trust that prosperity may attend Bro . Penley .

* ' * Mr . Newman has considerably changed his plans of his " London Musical Festival , " with the result that the spirited enterprise is less than ever like what we generally understand by the name . Choral performances are entirely out of the bill , so that the six concerts will differ in no respect from those usually given under Mr . Wood's direction , save for the presence of Mr . Chevillard and the Lamoureux orchestra . Mr . Newman probably

knows what the public want , and their preferences are to him a law . The programmes promise the appearance of Mdme . Albani , Miss Blauvelt , Mdme . Marchesi , Miss Butt , Mr . Ysaye , kc , and the instrumental works , including six marked " first time , " are drawn from Bach ( two ) , Beethoven ( six ) , Wagner ( seven ) , Tschaikowsky ( two ) ; Schumann , Max Bruch , Weber , 3 erIioz , Brahms , Schubert , Saint-Saons , contribute one each , and Mendelssohn is left altogether out in the cold , with Haydn and Mozart to keep him company .

The " Bayreuther Blatter " states that between July 1 st , 1 S 9 S , and the sameldate in the year following there were 1342 representations of Wagnerian operas in the German tongue , being an increase of no as compared with 1897-S . Only 1 S 3 performances in foreign languages took place : In France , 58 ; in England , 39 ; in Belgium , 33 ; in America , 15 ; Sweden , 14 ; Holland , 13 ; Italy , 8 ; Spain , 5 . The opera most frequently performed

during the 1 2 months was " Tannhauser" ( 2 S 0 ) , next came " Lohengrin ' ( 277 ) , and the others in the following order : "Flying Dutchman" ( 16 S ) , " jMasttrsingers" ( 136 ) , " Walkyrie " ( 126 ) , " Rheingold " ( 88 ) , Gotterdammerung" ( 79 ) . "Siegfried" ( 77 ) , " Kienzi " ( Ci ) , "Tristram" ( 47 ) . From these figures it appears that there were 786 performances of works in the composer ' s early manner as against 353 representations of the latter musicdramas . In the first list only four works figure , and in the second are six .