PORTO RICO EXPERIMENT STATION. 439 



planted into rows 12 feet apart in a 1-acre plat. In May some SOU 

 seeds of CastiUoa sp. were received through Mr. (J. N, Collins from 

 Nico3'a, Costa Rica; these had been packed in moistened powdered 

 charcoal and were germinatinj;- npon arrival; loo of these rapidly 

 o-rowing- seedlings will l)e transferred to the phit in September, lOO 

 will be set in nursery rows, and the remainder will be held for 

 distribution. 



Fifteen seedlings of the West African silk rubber {Funtumia eh(stica) 

 were obtained in September from seed received from tlie Trinidad 

 Botanical (lardens; a few of these plants were lost during the dry 

 season. The average height of the remaining specimens at nine months 

 from seed is fully 1 meter; the unpruned form has a large, roundish 

 head of bifurcating branches. 



Seeds of Ceara rubber {2fanihot glaziovli)^ received from Dr. John 

 Gifford, have as 3'et failed to germinate. 



Plants have been raised from cuttings of the native wild tig {FIciih 

 pojndnea^.) and will be set in the plat together with *' volunteer" plants 

 of same species procured in the vicinity. 



CACAO PLAT. 



At the '"Moca"" estate, one of the largest cacao walks in the hills 

 near Spanish Town, Trinidad, a study was made of the varieties of 

 cacao grown there, the propagation and cultural methods in use, and 

 the fermentation and dr^'ing processes used in preparing the seeds for 

 the market. Some 25 selected fruits, representing the 12 principal 

 varieties, were obtained and brought back in almost perfect condition. 

 The pods were sponged oti* en route with formalin solution as often as 

 indications of decav were noticed.. Seeds of the Allio'ator cacao 

 {Theohroma hlcolor) alone were lost. 



The coolie labor system, which has been so well managed b}^ the Trini- 

 dad Government, was also studied, ])ut no form of it appears to be 

 applicable in Porto Rico. Under this system the cacao trees are pur- 

 chased from the Hindoo coolie, who is furnished seed, land, tools, and 

 the right to build a hut and till a small tract for his own l)enetit. The 

 trees may l)e sold by the coolie to the estate owner at any time after 

 one year, ))ut are usually cared for until l)earing (tiiree to live years) 

 by the cooly, who nuist live constantly on the estate. The coolies are 

 expected to do "piece" and day labor when required by the superin- 

 tendent. On account of the coolie's propensity for saving his wages 

 to his personal physical detriment, a larg(^ })art of the daily wage is 

 paid either in rations on the estate or through store checks. 



No attempt toward artilicial control of the ferments of the curing 

 processes was noted. The popular impression is that no two lots of 

 the "beans" can ever be treated the same way because of the ditler- 

 ences l)e(we(>n the seeds- all \arieties l)ein«j sweated toyfether — as well 

 as temperature and humidity dirt'erences. No white seeds were 



