THE CUBA REVIEW 17 



SOIL AND CLIMATE 



Cacao is of course grown on flat land best, and when the conditions are favorable 

 it has many advantages. There have been, however, many mistakes made in selecting 

 locations on the plains and it may be well to call attention to the folly of starting on 

 a worn out "cane-sugar" land, or on poor sandy soil, or on hard clay soil or on a wind 

 swept plain where it would be difficult to furnish adequate wind protection. It is true 

 that such lands can be improved and made to produce cacao or any other crop, but it 

 should certainly not be planted until such improvements have been made according to 

 the conditions of the soil and other requirements necessary to make it a paying 

 proposition. 



The following points are of importance to make a success of cacao growing: 

 temperature, rainfall, humidity and wind. 



Cacao is at home in a moist wind sheltered valley with a day temperature of 80° 

 and a night temperature of 65° to 75°. Trees are often found in the mountains where 

 the temperature is much lower than this, but the lower altitude and higher tempera- 

 ture are well known to be most favorable. The amount of rain needed depends on the 

 distribution, the physical condition of the soil, and on cultured methods, on flat land 

 with friable soil on which the capillary action is maintained by mulch or cultivation. 

 Two inches per month might be quite sufficient, while on a steep hillside, not culti- 

 vated, the trees might suffer from drought with twice or three times that amount. 

 Generally the rainfall should be from 60 to 100 inches per year. The soil moisture is 

 not depleted so rapidly and the trees may continue to grow where those not so pro- 

 tected would suffer. Where irrigation is available the cacao tree may bear good crops 

 even though the air be dry, provided the plantation is adequately protected from the 

 wind. 



SHADE 



Some say that shade is not necessary except for the first three to four years, and 

 others say that shade is absolutely necessary, not alone for the young, but also for 

 the older ones. Nevertheless it is not probable that, under the same conditions, a 

 cacao tree needs a radically different treatment in other countries from what it does 

 in Cuba. 



Among the shade trees are the Erythinas. The Gliricidia Maculata is another 

 tree frequently used, and this is also called the Madie de Cacao, or the mother of 

 cacao, a name adopted by the Spanish people in Central and South America. Pethe- 

 colibium Samen, the Samen or Guango, as it is called, is also frequently used by 

 cacao growers. 



For wind protection of commercial crops the Central American rubber tree, 

 "Castilloa Elastica," has been suggested, and it may be used for wind belts wherever 

 it grows fast enough. It will not be satisfactory in all places, however, and it will 

 probably never be satisfactory if planted alone, because it needs wind protection itself 

 the first few years of its growth. 



PLANTING 



The preparation of the land, including digging holes, is necessary whether seeds 

 are planted or nursery trees. 



In planting trees from bamboo pots, the pot soil should be moistened to prevent it 

 from crumbling, and the bamboo should be split open, leaving a cylindrical ball of 

 earth containing the plant. This should be set in a hole previously prepared without 

 breaking it or in any way exposing the roots. The plant should never be set without 

 removing the bamboo, as that does not decay readily even when imbedded in the soil. 



Immediately after the planting, whether seed or nursery trees, the surrounding 

 soil should be covered with a thick layer of grass or weeds raked up on the ground. 

 This will preserve the moisture and prevent the growth of weeds close to the plant. 



