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be found, if the soil is taken away from the stem, that the base of 

 the plant is several inches below the surface of the ground. In 

 such cases I would strongly recommend that the plants be dug 

 out and thrown away ; they cannot be transplanted and would never 

 do any good if left to grow. The same advice applies to citrus 

 plants. 



Unless care is taken to get these young plants properly planted, 

 good soil, manure, labour, etc. are all wasted, and those who will 

 look into the matter will find that all the cocoa trees that are giving 

 good returns, have their bases level with the surface, and those that 

 are not giving good returns or are in a half dead state will be 

 found with their bases several inches below the surface of the 

 ground. 



The reason why these hard-wooded trees do not thrive when 

 planted too deeply in the soil, is because the base of the tree is 

 kept too damp and cold, the lower roots of the tree die off and the 

 few surface roots cannot support the tree. That Jamaica has the 

 climate and soil conditions suited for producing very fine cocoa 

 can be judged from the fact that we have cocoa trees in the Island 

 measuring 6o inches round the trunk two feet from the ground, 

 the trees being in a healthy condition and giving large crops of 

 pods each season. These trees are exposed to all the sun that 

 passes, and the bases stand level with the surrounding ground. 



TURMERIC. 



Turmeric * is extensively cultivated all over India for its roof 

 stocks, and is now found more or less wild in Jamaica, especially 

 in the western districts. It is the well-known haldi universally 

 used as a condiment with curry-stuffs and also as a dye, and is one 

 of the most profitable of crops in India. The dye-yielding rhi- 

 zome is harder and much richer in colour than the edible. 



CULTIVATION. 

 The preparation of the soil necessary for turmeric is similar to 

 that for ginger, but lands intended for turmeric need not be 

 worked so fine. The usual planting time in India is about the 20th 

 of May. The plants spring up in about a fortnight. One or two 

 weedings are necessary, and care must be taken that the fields 

 are not inundated. After about a year and nine months turmeric is 

 lifted. When it is raised the first year, as is the practice in some 

 places, the produce is less in quantity and inferior in quality. 



PREPARATION OF THE ROOT-STOCK. 



Various systems are apparently practised for preparing the rhi- 

 zome for the market. Of Bengal it has been said : "After the 

 rhizomes have been dug out of the ground, they are freed from the 

 fibrous roots and cleaned. They are then put in earthen pots, the 

 mouths of which are to be carefully closed with earthen covers 



* Curcuma longa, Linn. luformation from Dictionary of Economic Products of 

 India; and Bentley and Trimen's Medicinal Plants. 



