20 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



Jani un 16, 1915. 



CO'ii. I Bj Dr. C. J. J. van Hall, Director of the 

 Institute for Planl Diseases and Cultures, Buitenzorg, Java. 

 Macmill'in .(■ Co., London and New York. Price 1 Is. net. 



The intimati acquaintance of Dr. van Hall with the 

 cultivation o i n various parts of the world, notably in 



Surinam ami in Java, coupled within- wide knowledge of 



;[ agriculti re, nas enabled bim to produce a remarkably 

 sound and inten iok, full of valuable information from 



— r in cover. 



The keynoti ol the 1 k is struck in the opening words 



prefaci [n writing this hand-1 k I have done my 



to make it practical:' and it is practical in the best 

 i.t the word; practical in that it embraces what is 

 best in regard to the scientific as well as the operative 

 and commercial aspects of the work. The needs of those 

 actuallj engaged in the production of cacao are ken! 

 closely in mind, while thi assistance that i- afforded them 

 by scientific workers and investigators is carefully shown 

 throughout. 



The author uses the word cocoa, but in the publications 

 of tliis Department it is preferred, when referring to the tree, 

 and t" the raw material of commerce, to express it as 

 cacao, thereby adhering to t lie name by which Cortez 

 originally described the tree. The concise history of 

 cacao given in the opening chapter is instructive. It 

 deals briefly with the early history of the plant and 

 of the use nt it- seeds, tracing their introduction into 

 Europe and the growth of their use there: the part 

 played by the variou- Central American and West Indian 

 countries in its production is outlined, and it is interest 

 ing to note how soon Trinidad became identified with 

 the industry of cacao production. Not the least instructive 



oi the historical introduction is that which shows the 

 present position of the world's trade: the recenl rapid 



increase in the use ol the article; and tl untries 



from which supplies arc derived. A striking feature is the 

 rapid rise of the trade in this commodity in various 

 countrii of which have only given attention to it 



during comparativelj recent years. 



In dealing with the chemistry of cacao and cacao soils 

 (('hap. Ill), the antlmi' intimates how little importance can 



tached to the chemical analysis oi the soil as affording 

 indications concerning the manures that may be profitably 

 employed, and later he emphasizes the usefulness of properly 

 conducted field experiments to determine this question. In 

 doing so he points out (Chap. IV) that this work 

 falls upon Agricultural Di ats and Experiment Stations 



rather than upon the individual planter, and he proceeds to 



lay down a f. w golden ml.- !<•, the guidance ..I the worker, 

 followed by -' for experiments in detail. The 



experiments conducted in this connexion in the West Indie-, 

 particularly in Dominica and Grenada, receive careful con 



•sideration. 



\- regards the chemistrj of, the cacao bean, the work of 



on -nil remains the standard, and is quoted at some 



length. The information aval tble ing the changes 



that occur during the fermentation and curing of the bi 

 mcisely stated, reference being made to the work ol 



Sack. dice, and Dorssen; but it is pointed out thai 



: i more work requires to b lo our knowledge in 



this direction ci garded as reasonably complete. 



The remarks on the botanical characteristics of the 



cacao plant are valuable and suggestive, particularly th 



relating to the nature of the flower cluster, the struct 



the flower, mil it- mode of pollination. It is important 



t te thai e\ idence is | Iu< i d on the authority oi 



Dr. von Faber to show that the cacao flower, instead il 

 being insect pollinated, is self pollinated, and thai the pollen 



falling from I bloss s maj settle on the pi-til- of 



flowers on neighbouring trees, and effect cross-fertilization. 

 That cross-fertilization does take place i- supported by 

 fact, observed in Venezuela, thai the progeny ol Forastero 

 types of cacao, planted amongst Criollo tree-, show i 

 of alteration of type, traceable to the crossing ol the Forastero 



by the Criollo: the same facts liavi bserved in Java, 



and are supported by the author's observations in that 

 country. 



The author take- the welcomi i iurse of simplifying the 



classification of the varieties ol c He recognizes I 



main types, Criollo and Forastero, the former of which 

 consists mainly of local forms, but with one sub-variety, 

 namelj the Java Porcelaine. The Forastero group he 

 subdivides into four, namely Ango leamor, ^melonda 



and Calabacillo, with their respective local forms. The 

 characters of these are carefully described, ami will afford 

 interesting information for many oi oui readers. 



In dealing with the cultivation of cacao the writer is 

 most sound and interesting. Drawing on i large experience 

 he recognizes that the art mnsl learned by careful 



practice, and that many local methods, though possibly 

 imperfect, have much to commend them, and make- the 

 significant remark that "an rnmi aoney has 



been lost, and i- -'ill being lost, by men without local 

 experience who want to improve on the old fashioned way at 

 once, or whoadi.pi in the Tropics, without thorough experi 



incut, methods used in temperate clima 



A careful study is made in the 1 k of the establish^ 



of plantations, including the clearing and preparation ol the 

 laud, the raising and planting of the tree-, appropriate drain- 

 ing, and the use ol wind-belts and -hade lice-. The informa- 

 tion given is based upon wide knowledge and experience, and 

 will well repay careful study. Fixed rules cannot he laid 

 down to guide the planter, who must lay a foundation of good 



i d knowledge, and then be guided by experiem - . 



The remark (pp. 101-3) that cacao uia\ be considered 

 as a plant which is not very particular about drainage, 

 although coupled with the advice to p.\ careful attention to 



this matter, strike, one as strange, and one is led tO enquire 

 whether a great deal may not depend on the movemei 



the subsoil water: a tree may possibly tolerate the presence 

 of water that i- moving, even it moving slowly, but may 

 suffer when the water is stagnant. It would seem that 



instances where trees are growing fairly, though apparently 



I i i\ drained, are d< sen ing oi further investigation, for they 



may throw light on problems concerning root iction ind 



drainage. 



The curious tolerance oi -alt. observed in Surinam in 

 the case of ca ao trees that have grown in salt-containing 

 -oil from the beginning, is both interesting and instructive^ 

 The author make- many references to the debated i 

 lion of cultivating cacao without permanent -hade, and 

 state- that the waj in which the plant i- cultivated in 

 Grenada without -hade is instructive, and gives the kej 

 the puzzle: hi rs that the influence ol the -hade trees 



