Vol. VII. No. 152. 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



53 



CACAO INDUSTRY OF THE WEST 



INDIES. 



Interesting papers in relation ti. the We.st Indian 

 cacao industry were read at the laic Agricultural 

 Conference. The Hon. Franci.s AVatts, C.SI.G., 

 summarized, on behalf of Mr. Joseph Jones and him- 

 self, the results of manuiial experiments with cacao in 

 Dominica, while Mr. R, D. Anstead and Mr. J. C. Moore 

 reviewed the progiess of the experimental work carried 

 on at Grenada and St. Lucia respectively. Mr. Joseph 

 Jones also read a paj)er on trials in grafting cacao 

 which have been made at the Dominica Botanic Station. 

 A summary of Dr. Watts' remarks dealing with the 

 Dominica experiments is given below, followed by 

 a reprint of the paper presented by Mr. Anstead : — 



C.\CAO EXPERIMKXTS IN In ).MIM(.'.\. 



Manurial experiments are caniecf out in Dominica both 

 at the Botanic Station and in the country districts. Tho.se 

 at the Botanic Station have been in progre.ss since 1900, and 

 now present results of considerable interest, clearly indicat- 

 ing the value of judicious manuring on the part of tlie cacao 

 planter. There are five cacao experiment plots at the Station. 

 Of these, one has been regularly manured each year with an 

 application of 4 cwt. of ba.sic jjhosphate and li cwt. of 

 sulphate of potash per acre, a second plot has been annually 

 treated with 4 cwt. of dried blood per acre, and a third has 

 received a complete manure (containing nitrogen, potash, and 

 phosphates), composed of 4 cwt. of basic phosphate, 11 cwt. 

 of sulphate of potash, and 4 cwt. of dried blood per acre. The 

 fourth plot has been annually mulched with grass and leaves, 

 while the fifth has received no manure whatever. 



Considering the crop returns obtaihed during the past 

 five years, the results .show that the use of phosphates and 

 potash on the first plot has increased the yield of dry cured 

 cacao by an average of 219 lb. per acre per annum over the 

 yield given by the uiimanured plot. The use of the drieil 

 blood alone, primarily a nitrogenous manure, increased the 

 return of cacao by 187 lb., wdiile the combination of 

 the two sets of manures, i.e., phosphates, potash and dried 

 blood resulted in an average yield of 374 lb. per acre per 

 annum over and above that obtained from the unmanured 

 plot. The mulching gave the greatest gain of all, viz, 

 402 lb. in excess of the return from the unmanured plot. 

 Dr. Watts mentioned also that the cacao trees on the 

 mulched plot are much finer and better developed than those 

 on the other plot.s, and also that the soil of the mulched area 

 is in exceptionally good ph3'sical condition. Although such 

 good results have been obtained with nudcliing alone, 

 Dr. Watts pointed out that in many ca.ses it will be well to 

 supplement mulching with moderate applications of nitrogen 

 and pho.sphate. It is believed that i)c)tash is not urgently 

 needed as a fertilizing constituent in 1 ><iininica, as the soils 

 of the island are fairly well supplied. 



The results obtained with the experiment pints in the 

 counti-y districts show that manures arc beneficial and 

 remunerative in the establishment of young cacao, and that 

 pen m«nure, when obtainable is likely h> give the best results. 



Observation shows that good general results are likely to 

 follow the intelligent use of the weeds growmg in a cacao 

 orchard. When the country experiment plots w-ere first laid 

 out in Dominica, attempts were made to keep weeds down 

 thoroughly by a sy.stem of clean weedini;. The soil showed 

 .signs of deterioration, but on altering the method of treat- 

 ment, allowing the weeds to grow to a moderate height, and 



then either cutlassing them down, or bedding them in with 

 the fork, surprisingly good results followed. 



Mr. R. D. Anstead then read the following paper, 

 reviewing the experimental work with cacao that is in 

 progress at Grenada, of which island Mr. Anstead is 

 Agricultural Superintendent. 



In Grenada, ex[ieriment plots of cacao are of two kinds, 

 distinguished, for the sake of reference, by the terms 'experi- 

 ment plots ' and 'experiment stations.' 



The experiment plots, as was explained at the last Agri- 

 cultural Conference ( West Indian Bn/h'tin, Vol. VI, p. 66), 

 are each about 1 acre in extent, and are chosen from land near 

 the public roads, belonging to peasant proprietors. 



The experiments carried out upon these plots are 

 conducted hy the Imperial Department, and are designed to 

 run for three years, the cost of them being defrayed from 

 Imperial funds. 



The results obtained by means of these plots are highly 

 satisfactory. The Agricultural Instructor uses them as 

 a rendezvous when he is in the district, and as demonstration 

 pdots. Here he is able to meet the peasants, and to show 

 them how agricultural operations, such as forking, drainage 

 and pruning, should be carried mit, and how manures .should 

 bf applied. 



Considerable interest has been taken in the plots by 

 the neighbouring pea.sants, and the operations carried out 

 upon them are imitated to an encouraging extent. The plots 

 were originally chosen in poor areas, and where trees have 

 been considerably neglected, in order that the benefits of 

 scientific treatment may be the more marked. A good crop 

 serves as an excellent object-lesson to all cultivators of cacao, 

 and indicates how the most satisfactory results are to be 

 obtained. This year, for instance, from a plot 1 acre in 

 extent, the owner has picked two-thirds of the total yield of 

 cacao usually derived from 5 acres of land. 



With regard to the actual results of the experiments, 

 figures are kept as accurately as possible, and paiblished from 

 year to year in the Annual Report of the Botanic Station ; 

 Ijut from a purely experiment point of view, and as a means 

 of obtaining accurate numerical results, the second class of 

 experiments —the ' experiment stations ' — should afford 

 better opportunities than the experiment plots, since they are 

 on a bigger scale and are run more on estate lines. 



These experiment stations are established on large estates 

 and consist of not less than 5 acre.s, or 1,000 trees. The 

 cost of the experiments is borne by the owners, the Imperial 

 Department suiii)lying scientific advice as to the experiments 

 and the manner in which tliey should be conducted. These 

 stations, of which there are at present five, have become very 

 poiiular, and next year a number of others will be started. 



The result of establishing them has been to make the 

 larger [a-oprietors take a lively interest in scientific experi- 

 ments carried out on their own estates — experiments designed 

 to answer questions and solve problems connected with their 

 own soils and conditions. 



It is as yet too early in the history of the.se experiments 

 to be able to give, with any c(3nfidence, numerical results, but 

 two facts are already apijarent : firstly, that cacao grown on the 

 heavy red clay soils of Grenada responds quicklj' and liberally 

 to .the apjjlications of lime ; and .secondly, that pen manure, 

 when applied in heavy dressings and thoroughly and deeply 

 forked in, is of considerable value, and gives results that 

 compare very favourably with mineral and chemical fertilizers. 

 Ml'. Jones' p.iper on the grafting of cacao, and the 

 pajier lead by Mr. Moore on experimental work at; 

 St. Lucia, will be reprinted in the next number of the 

 A[/r/rulturai Ncic?. 



