CACAO CULTIVATION. 95 



diameter, and three cacao seeds planted at equal distances of 

 not less than 8 inches apart (at the apices of an equilateral 

 triangle), and covered with about an inch of fine rich leaf-mould, 

 or very fine friable soil. To keep the soil cool and rnoist a little 

 banana trash may be placed over the spot till the seeds have 

 germinated. Care should be taken not to plant the seeds too 

 deeply nor to cover them with hard, clayey soil. In such cases 

 there is great danger of the seeds rotting in the ground before 

 germination. If the seeds are fresh and good, they ought to 

 show above ground in about seven or eight days. 



When the seedlings treated above, have grown to about 

 8 inches high and developed four or five leaves, the strongest 

 may be left in its place; the other one or two, as the case may 

 be, can be transplanted to supply vacancies, or to plant up other 

 portions of the plantation. 



As the cacao-trees grow up, the bananas should be gradually 

 thinned year by year, so as, eventually, to leave the plantations 

 fully established with the cacao plants. 



In addition to the shade of the bananas it may be necessary 

 for the young seedlings to have some other shade. 



About the same time that the cacao seeds are planted, seeds 

 of chillies, stems of cassava, or some other shade plants, sjiould 

 be put close around them, so as to shelter the young plants in 

 case the banana shade does not fully cover them. 



Again, for permanent shade for the cacao trees when fully 

 grown, it is customary in some places to plant some large trees 

 such as the guango, hog-plum, trumpet- tree, &c. These are 

 generally necessary in hot lowland districts, and no cacao walks 

 can be said to be complete without them. 



In British Honduras I would recommend for a permanent 

 shade-tree the free use of the " Toonu," or rubber-tree (Gastilloa 

 dastica), already described. Seeds of these trees should be 



H 2 



