Ill 



CACAO n'7 



and small twigs. A typical cacao tree should have one stem, The best 

 giving off at a few feet from the ground three to five branches SSottee. 

 which spread in an open manner, and are free from leaves 

 except at the tops thus the leaves shade the open inner 

 portion without interfering with a free circulation of the air. Only one 

 If the young plants throw out more than one main stem, the JJfowed^ 

 surplus ones must be pruned off ; and, after the lateral s row - 

 branches are formed, no upward prolongation of the stem 

 must be allowed to grow. If the tree be left alone these 

 upward growing branches will come off from the stem, just 

 below the laterals, in the form of suckers, and to leave them Suckers 

 on is to cause the strength to be taken from these fruitful Amoved, 

 laterals, as well as to allow the trees to run up, perhaps, for 

 thirty feet or more, thereby causing much trouble in picking 

 the pods. When the suckers are pruned off, fresh ones will 

 grow after a short time, so that the trees will require frequent 

 attention until they are mature, when the tendency to throw 

 out suckers will be stopped. In gathering the pods, the 

 suckers may be taken off at the same time, but the trees 

 should not be pruned in the flowering season. 



The first flowers, under favourable conditions, will come 

 out at the third year, but as the tree is not mature then, they The trees not 



. allowed to 



should by no means be allowed to produce pods, otherwise fruit when 

 the plant will be so weakened by the fruiting that its growth yc 

 will be greatly checked. The first flowers, therefore, should 

 all be rubbed off. After waiting three years for produce it is 

 no doubt rather disheartening to be compelled to prevent 

 fruit from forming, but it must be done if the planter look to 

 the future big gain and not the present small loss. Generally, 

 crops cannot be expected from cacao under five years. 



MANURING. Unless in the case of sickly plants on poor 

 soil, the trees will not require manuring until the crops are Ini P ortance 

 taken off ; when, as may be imagined, it will be necessary to 

 restore to the soil, in a cheap way, what has been removed in 

 the valuable produce. A good deal will naturally depend on 



