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sloping land, but at Ortinola much of the land is on steep hillsides. 
he value of mulching was thoroughly appreciated both at River 
Estate and Ortinola, but its importance on the latter plantation was 
particularly noticeable. 
The cultivation at Ortinola was very good and the general health 
and fruiting of the trees was in striking contrast to those on the 
adjoining estate. Mulches of all kinds, such as Heliconias, grasses, 
branches of shade trees, etc., were freely used and the effect on the 
soil was most noticeable. Under the mulch it was soft and friable 
with the Cacao roots pushing up into it, while at the sides of the 
drains it was a stiff clay. The important part played by earth- 
worms in these tropic soils is very marked and their value was fully 
recognised, 
. Clean weeding is not practised, but on the other hand a covering 
of weeds, ferns Tradescantias, etc., is encouraged especially on the 
steep slopes, and such weeds are mown over from time to time. 
The Cacao hulls are limed and covered over with leaves and in 
course of time also serve as manure. he crop at Ortinola was a 
remarkably fine one and few sights of the kind are more beautiful 
than that presented by an extensive view in a Cacao plantation 
where the stems and branches are thickly covered with the rich 
crimson or golden-yellow pods, where the eye gets lost among the 
maze of laden stems and branches stretching away beneath the 
canopy of foliage. 
nother question which exercises the minds of Cacao planters is 
that of “chupons,’ whether one, two, several or none should be 
allowed to grow. The “chupon” is a strong shoot such as we 
welcome in a rose tree for instance, and may spring from below the 
ground or from the main stem or from a branch, At River Estate 
there are plots occupied by fairly old trees where one, two, three or 
more chupons are being allowed to grow and a plot where all 
chupons are removed is also kept under observation, The results 
will be published in course of time, but from what could be seen at 
the Government plantations, Ortinola and elsewhere, it would 
appear that no hard and fast rule can be laid down on the subject 
and that the condition of each individual tree must be taken into 
consideration before deciding whether it may be necessary to 
encourage the growth of one or more chupons and as to which 
should be allowed to grow to the best advantage. In the case of an 
old tree whose stem has largely lost the power of producing flower 
pis it 18 obviously sound policy to encourage the vigorous 
chupon” and in course of time to allow it to replace the parent 
tree entirely. Similarly the “chupon” may be encouraged where it is 
rg eaw to replace a broken branch or to fill up the leaf canopy 
The fermentation, drying and polishing of the Cacao was also 
seen at River Estate; the latter process is delightfully primitive, 
being effected by the coolies and negroes who dance on the beans 
with bare feet in the blazing sun on the top of the drying sheds. 
A certain amount of clay is mixed with the beans before the 
dancing commences and the polishing, which cannot apparently be 
done by machinery, tends to preserve the beans and also enhances 
their value on the market. . By some claying is prot considered 
