1921.'] CACAO PRIZE COMPETITION 1920-21. 16B 



The Grenadian cultivates his soil well because he has found that it 

 pays. If those of you who havp not ti'ied it yet will only do so,. 

 I feel sure you will find it pay and will then continue the practice, 

 I hope that by the work of the Agricultural Advisers the Trinidad 

 peasant proprietors will attain a reputation as good cultivators equal to 

 that of the Grenadians. 



The judges also state that manuring needs more attention. This 

 does not mean that you are recommended to spend a lot of money on 

 artificial manures but that you should make full use of the available 

 supplies of pen manure, trimmings of bush, and waste organic material 

 of all kinds. Bury — not deeply — in the soil all dead animal and plant 

 material you can. It will rot and form a richer soil, and also one that 

 ^yill not crack, and dry so quickly in seasons of drought. At River 

 Estate pen manure from the stables is carefully stored in a pit; the 

 liquid manure, usually allowed to run away, is collected in another pit,, 

 and carted out to be applied to nurseries and backward trees ; all waste 

 material from the yard, even sawdust and shavings is put out in the 

 fields. Most of you can do things like this for yourselves at very little 

 expense, and you will find that it pays. 



Drainage, particularly of hilly lands, is often either negleoted or 

 badly done. I am glad to notice that an improvement has evidently 

 been effected. Last year the judges said you had a prejudice against 

 draining. This year they say that on the whole it was well done, and that 

 both peasant proprietors and contractors " realised the benefits to be 

 derived from draining hilly portions of their holdings, a method which 

 is not generally adopted." 



Care of the health or sanitation is just as important for a cacao tree 

 as for man or any other living being. Considerable improvements have 

 been made, but still more can be effected. Learn to recognise canker 

 and how to get rid of it, also root disease, and deal promptly with cacao 

 beetles and do not allow them nearly to ruin your properties as they 

 have been allowed, by neglect, to do in some parts of Trinidad. ]\Iost 

 of these very desirable improvements, which will bring you in larger 

 crops and more money, can be done without much expense. All that is 

 necessary is knowledge — to know what to do, and industry to do it. The 

 Government wishes to help you as much as it can and has provided an 

 Agricultural Adviser for this district — the Counties of Nariva and 

 Mayaro. Mr. Mota has been with you now for four years ; yon know him 

 well and I feel sure that you have found him always ready and anxioxis to 

 do his best for you, and most of you have also found that the help given 

 you is good. We began in 1911 with only two Agricultural Advisers, or 

 Inspectors as they were then called. The number was increased to three 

 but this 3'ear we have already six, and shall soon have seven, so that the 

 peasantry in all parts of the Colony can be reached by them. This of 

 course costs a good deal of money. Altogether the salaries of the 

 Advisers, their travelling allowances, and the amount spent on prizes in 

 the competitions are a charge of i*2.BlO in the Estimates of the 

 Department of Agriculture. This money is all spent for the direct 

 benefit of the peasantry of the Colony. I mention these facts to show 



