Vol. VIII. No. 185. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



167 



PRIZE-HOLDINGS SCHEME 

 DOMINICA. 



AT 



A cacao growing competition and prize-holdings 

 ■scheme, that has been attended with very satislkrtorv 

 and encouraging results, was held in the La Piaine 

 and Grand Bay districts of Dominica in the year ended 

 March 31 last. Mr. Joseph Jone.s, Curator of the 

 Botanic Station, who vi.sited the districts in <[nestion, 

 and inspected the holdings entered for competition, 

 has lately sent in a report on the working of the 

 ■scheme, and its influence in stimulating the peasants 

 to improve their methods of cultivation. 



There were two el»isse6...in wliifli holdings could be 



■ entered for competition, viz : — 



(1) For holdings not over 4 acre.s, and not less than 

 1 acre of cacao in bearing ; and 



(2) Holdings under 1 acre, but containing not less than 

 100 trees of cacao in bearing, these trees to be at i)roper 



■ distances apart. 



In the Grand Bay district, ten plots entered in Class I, 

 ;aid six [ilots in Class II, while in La Piaine district there 

 were seven entries, all of tlieni being in Class II. In each 



•district, a planter undertonk the duties of local instructor, 

 .and gave advice and help to holders entering for the competi- 

 tion. 



Mr. Jones' report bears testimony to the satis- 

 factory results that have followed the establishment 

 of this scheme. The following paragraphs may be 

 iiuoted as showing the manner in which competitions 

 of this nature are likely to influence the cultivation of 

 peasant cacao : — 



' The competing plots presented a good appearance in 

 <'omparison with other cacao areas in the neighbourhood not 

 entered for the competion. 



'()n the advice of the instructor.s, the bush had been cut 

 down and the jilots weeded ; suckers had been removed and 

 the thinning of the upper branches carefully carried out. 

 The pruning in nearly all cases was very well done, and the 

 wounds in several instances were tarred over. The pods 

 were lieing cut from the trees when ripe, and not — as is 

 usually the case — torn or twi.sted uti' the trunk. In many of 

 the plots inspected the natural drainage was good, but where 

 ■drainage was necessary, very fair attempts had been made in 

 this direction on the advice of the instluctors. 



' All the plots had a good mulch of leaves and 

 the value of manure appears to be well understood, 

 •especially in the La Piaine district. It was pleasing to 

 ■observe that the majority of the jilots were properly provided 

 with wind belts. The type of cacao grown is the Forastero, 

 which is a very suitaV)le variety for the conditions prevailing 

 in Dominica. Very little disease was noticed in the cultiva- 

 tions. In <:«e instance the bro\\n rot disease of cacao ]>ods 

 was observed, and the chief cause — that of leaving bniken 

 -cacao shells lying on the grounl under the cacao trees^^was 

 pointed out.' 



From the description contained in the report as to the 

 character of the cacao on ])easant-grown holdings in the 

 La Piaine district, it appears that the advice and a.ssistance 



of an Agricultural Instrui:tor should prove very useful to 

 these small cultivators during the early stages of development 

 of their cacao orchards. The cacao trees at La Piaine were 

 planted very closely, were not thinned, and have been allowed 

 to sucker freely. As a result, the plots consist, in most 

 cases, of tall trees, with very little lateral development, and 

 such trees give very small return. There are very consider- 

 able areas of cacao in the above state, and it is important that 

 some eti'oit should be made to improve matters. Mr. .Jones 

 advises e.xperimental tieatmeut on the following lines : 

 The plots should in the first instance be thinned : any strong 

 suckers growing from the base of the trees should then be 

 selected at distances apart that will allow of the side branches 

 becoming well developed. If these could be got to branch 

 in the usual way when about .5 or (i feet in height, their 

 lateral development should be encouraged. As these develop, 

 the old stems of cacao should be gradually removed. Thi.s 

 should result in more [irofitable returns being obtained, i)ro- 

 vided regular care is given, and suckers are kept down. 



The cacao cultivations in the CJrand Bay districts are 

 generally in better condition, the greater part being from 

 ten to twelve years old. The area under peasant cacao in this 

 district is estimated to amount to as much as 400 acres. 

 Although, as mentioned, the ])iots in this district now appear 

 satisfactory, yet there are already signs that the trees must be 

 carefully thinned, all suckers kept tlown, and attention given 

 to the development of side branches, if the plots are to be pre- 

 vented from passing into the condition of those at La Piaine. 



The peasantry, both at La Piaine and Grand Bay, 

 appear to regard the inclusion of one or more breadfruit or 

 breadnut trees in their small plots as necessary to cacao 

 cultivation. The breadnut is preferred by many, probably 

 on account of the fact that the fruit of the first-named tree, 

 on falling, damages the branches of the cacao trees, while 

 the breadnut fruit is softer, and no injury results if it strikes 

 a cacao branch in falling. The value of these trees is 

 probably due to their iuHuence on the .still" soil, which they 

 break up, aerate, and assist in draining, so that conditions 

 are made more favourable for the cacao plant. 



The cost of the prize-holdings competition last year for 

 the two districts was £3o 10.<. The names of the prize- 

 winners are as follows : — 



Gkajjb Bay. 



C/'ISS I. 



First prize (£4) : .John Thomas. Second prizes (£1 -ij.s. 

 each) : Augustine Darroux and .Jean Lewis. Third prizes 

 (lO.t. each) : .John Lewis Angol, and Benjamin .J.ihn Lewis. 



Chn:i II. 



First prize (£2) : .Jerimie llemi. Second prize (£1 b.<.) : 

 Ovan Henderon. Third prize (15.'<.) : Veuey Douglas. 



La Plai.ne. 



Clam II. 



First jjrize (£2) : Alfred Lawrence. SecoirJ prize 

 (£1 5.«.) : Emile Lawrence. Third prize (15.5.) : Sadoc 

 Laroude. 



In view of the enconragingiiand helpful results 

 that have attended the scheme in the past year, and 

 the interest that was aroused among small holders, the 

 competition is to be repeated this year (1909-10) both 

 at La Piaine and Grand Bay, and it promises to attract 

 even wider and keener interest among peasant 

 proprietors than was the case in 1908-9. 



