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the planting-season may be committed, basket and all, into the 

 holes provided for their reception. These baskets are woven very 

 loosely, filled with rich mould, and the bean planted therein. The 

 lightness of the basket-work promotes the penetration of the 

 moisture, and thus the decay of the basket. Bamboo is also 

 sometimes used for this purpose, but this is less advisable, 

 partly because the young plant has no space to grow, and 

 partly because the bamboo will not rot so soon in the earth. 

 In the shade of a wide-branched tree these baskets can be 

 held ready by hundreds at a time to use them as they are 

 wanted. In planting cacao in these baskets, you must be 

 mindful, that in the dry season the earth cracks, by which the 

 baskets stand isolated and so can be lifted loose out of the 

 planting hole. This can be prevented by timely adding good 

 earth upon the baskets and round the plant. 



A good precaution in planting out nursery trees, is at the 

 same time to put three cacao beans into the ground round 

 the young plant, that if the plant itself should not thrive, there 

 be still a chance of one or two of these beans succeeding. If 

 they both succeed well, then these young plants can again be 

 rendered serviceable for filling up vacant places, or to replace 

 betimes any sickly or languishing plants, 



To prevent the ground cracking near the young Cacao-trees, 

 it is necessary, before the drought sets in, to dig up the soil 

 thoroughly, to earth up the plant and put dry weed round 

 the stem. 



