158 



Blem. President of the Credit Society of Estate Owners in ihe 

 Danish Island Diocese-Districts. The principle works, as will 

 be known, on the cooperative system. 



A society of land-owners formed by debtors w'ith the object 

 of borrowing money jointly. It mints its own money according 

 to the daily requirements, in the shape of treasury bonds, on 

 which interest and instalments are to be paid with mortgage se- 

 curity in fixed property — under unlimited responsibility and with 

 a reserve fund as an auxiliary support. 



Sixty to seventy years ago there was an upward tendency in 

 the financial condition, but money was scarce. It was almost 

 impossible to procure mortgages, especially on farming proper- 

 ties, and many private persons possessing money dared not lend 

 it out, even against the finest mortgage security. It is gratifying 

 to know that credit societies, which act as a link between bor- 

 rower and lender, remedied this disagreement. Their treasury 

 bonds became the means of transaction, the means of credit and 

 the substitute for missing money. 



PLAXTIXG COCOA. 



The following notes have been contributed by ]Mr. A. H. Hoare 

 to the Journal of the Jamaica A'^ricnUnral Society of December, 

 1912: 



The young cocoa plants will succeed best if planted out through 

 bananas, as they must have a certain amount of shade from the 

 hot sun when young and the banana will answer satisfactorily for 

 that purpose and enable the cocoa to be grown economically. 

 Moreover, if the bananas have been properly cultivated the land 

 will be already in good condition and will need no further prep- 

 aration before planting. See that the land is properly drained, 

 especially if it is inclined to be wet or if it is of a stifif clayey tex- 

 ture, otherwise the soil becomes in wet weather sodden and sour, 

 and cocoa trees will not thrive when the soil is water-logged and 

 sour. Choose land that has a good soil, deep because the trees 

 send down a tap-root which although not assisting to feed the 

 tree to any great extent, will greatly afifect its health if it comes 

 into contact with an im])enetrable bed of marl or rock. 



Avoid bleak, windy situations, for cocoa trees love shelter and 

 suffer greatly from the effects of strong winds which cause de- 

 foliation and also injury to the tender young shoots. \'alleys 

 sheltered by hills and rocks, and .stretches of land protected by 

 good belts of timber are ideal situations if in a good rainfall. 



Do not follow the examples of others and ])lant too close, for 

 cocoa trees need light and air in abundance, and will never j^ay 

 for over-crowding. On good ricli land I would advise i)lanting 

 12 to 14 feet ajiart in the rows and on jioorcr soils or on hillsides 



