74 COCONUTS, KERNELS, AND CACAO. 



The Forastero ('' foreign ") is long and deeply furrowed, 

 but regular in shape and rough surfaced, natter as 

 a rule than the criollo. Their cotyledons are usually 

 purple. 



The Calabacilla (" little calabash ") is generally smooth 

 and round. Otherwise there is little to distinguish it 

 from the Forastero, the hardy character of which it also 

 shares. 



Where the Criollo and Forastero varieties are cultivated 

 in close proximity, cross-fertilisation takes place between 

 them, and the characters of each type may be found 

 merged in the progeny. This is particularly noticeable 

 in Ceylon. The seeds are either sown in a nursery or 

 " at stake/' 



(The author participated in the planting of cacao in 

 West Africa, both on a modern plantation, controlled 

 by Europeans, and on a more primitive one maintained 

 by a native chief. He was thus able to compare the 

 two methods.) 



The native practice was (and still is, where the Govern- 

 ment have not succeeded in inducing the people to adopt 

 newer methods), after felling the forest, to sow the seed 

 " at stake '' in small patches at the beginning of the 

 rainy season, in roughly prepared beds close to the 

 water. Gaps are not filled, and two or three seeds are 

 sown together, the weaklings being cut out not later 

 than the second or third year. Even then the remaining 

 plants are too close together 6 feet intervals being 

 frequent and often in very irregular lines ; while the 

 excessive shade caused by close planting often prevents 

 the fruit from forming well, and sometimes produces rot, 

 owing to want of evaporation of moisture. On the other 



