CACAO CULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES. 19 



eral oil or petroleum. Some of these lamps now made under recent pat- 

 ents yield a light of dazzling brilliancy, and if well distributed would 

 doubtless lure millions of insects to their death. The cheap cost of the 

 fuel also makes the remedy available for trial by every planter. 



There is a small hemipterous insect which stings the fruit when about 

 two-thirds grown, and deposits its eggs within. For this class of insects 

 M. A. Tonduz, who has issued publications on the diseases of cacao in 

 Venezuela, recommends washing the fruit with salt water, and against 

 the attacks of beetles in general by painting the tree stem and branches 

 with Bordeaux mixture, or with the vassiliere insecticide, of which the 

 basis is a combination of whale-oil soap and petroleum suspended in lime 

 wash. There can be no possible virtue in the former, except as a pre- 

 ventive against possible fungous diseases; of the sanitive value of the 

 latter we can also afford to be skeptical, as the mechanical sealing of the 

 borer's holes, and thereby cutting off the air supply, would only result 

 in driving the worm sooner to the surface. The odor of petroleum and 

 particularly of whale-oil soap is so repellant, however, to most insects that 

 its prophylactic virtues would undoubtedly be great. 



The Philippine Islands appear to be so far singularly exempt from the 

 very many cryptogamic or fungous diseases, blights, mildews, rusts, and 

 cankers that have played havoc with cacao-growing in many countries. 

 That we should enjoy continued immunity will depend greatly upon se- 

 curing seeds or young plants only from noninfested districts or from 

 reputable dealers, who will carefully disinfect any shipments, and to sup- 

 plement this by a close microscopical examination upon arrival and the 

 immediate burning of any suspected shipments. 



Another general precaution that will be taken by every planter who 

 aims to maintain the best condition in his orchard is the gathering and 

 burning of all prunings or trimmings from the orchard, whether they are 

 diseased or not. Decaying wood of any kind is a field for special activity 

 for insect life and fungous growth, and the sooner it is destroyed the 

 better. 



On this account it is customary in some countries to remove the fruit 

 pods from the field. But unless diseased, or unless they are to be re- 

 turned after the harvest, they should be buried upon the land for their 

 manurial value. 



MANURING. 



There are few cultivated crops that make less drain upon soil fertility 

 than cacao, and few drafts upon the land are so easily and inexpensively 

 returned. From an examination made of detailed analyses by many au- 

 thors and covering many regions, it may be broadly stated that an average 

 crop of cacao in the most-favored districts is about 9 piculs per hectare, 

 and that of the three all-important elements of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, 

 and potash, a total of slightly more than 4.2 kilograms is removed in each 



