1922.] 215 



CACAO. 



CACAO CULTIVATION IN GRENADA. 



By R. O. Williams, 



Curator Botanical Department, Trinidad and Tobago. 



(Formerly Superintendent of Agriculture, Grenada.) 



The following paper was read by Mr. R. O. Williams at a meeMng of 

 the Naparima (Trinidad) District Agricultural Society in November, 1921. 

 It gives a useful comparison between Grenada conditions and methods 

 of cultivation and those of Trinidad : — 



During my two years as Superintendent of Agriculture in Grenada I 

 was called upon in the course of my duties to visit estates in all parts of 

 the island and thus had opportunities of studying various methods of 

 work and I should here like to say that I was at all times treated with 

 the greatest courtesy' and kindness by the planters and others with whom 

 I came in contact. 



Although Trinidad and Grenada are so close together, only about 

 ninety miles apart, and the climatic conditions are not very different, 

 there are distinct differences in the methods employed in the cultivation 

 of their staple crop. 



Sugar was at one time the staple crop of Grenada but when prices 

 fell it was more or less abandoned and cacao steadily planted, chiefly 

 though by small proprietors. In the year 1855 the exports of cacao are 

 stated to have been 5,069 bags which by 1880 had risen to 28,735 bags. 

 The crop afterwai-ds continued to increase till at the present time it 

 ranges between 70,000 and 80,003 bags of 180 lb. net per annum. Little 

 increase of exports is to be expected in the future as most of the cacao 

 plantations have reached full bearing and but few new areas are being 

 planted. 



Agriculturally, Grenada is a much more fully developed colony than 

 Trinidad, consequently there is less available land suitable for further 

 cacao planting and inider present conditions it would be a much better 

 economic policy to concentrate any further agricultural efforts on the 

 production of ground provisions and other local foodstuffs. 



There is a large number of peasant proprietors in Grenada most of 

 whom own small plots of cacao. Wliilst some of these small proprietors 

 take a keen interest in their cultivation, there is on the part of others a 

 need for improvement in their methods and the curing of the crop for 

 market. 



In a country relying principally on one crop for its support small 

 nncared or neglected patches of that particular crop may present a 

 menace on account of the liability of their forming breeding gi-ounds for 

 pests and diseases. Improper methods of prepai-ing the crop for 

 market have also a detrimental effect on the reputation of that crop on 

 the market. 



I intend this afternoon to deal with my subject under two heads. 

 (1) Methods of cultivation and (2) Treatment of Pests. 



