THE CACAO BEAN. 75 



hand, the dense foliage makes weeding unnecessary, and 

 is therefore economical from this point of view. 



In Grenada and British West Indies, where planting 

 at stake is frequent, 8 feet of space only is given between 

 each plant, thus forming a denser foliage and dispensing 

 with any other shading. Five hundred trees to the acre 

 can thus be raised, but the method is not so suitable to 

 open valleys or plains as to hillside plantations. 



Seeds " at stake " are protected by a palm-leaf or 

 similar covering, and except in purely native plantations, 

 all but the strongest plants are removed when the seed- 

 lings reach 1 foot in height. 



Sowing " at stake" is not recommended where frequent 

 periods of dry weather occur during the rainy season, 

 as the young cacao trees demand a moist soil during 

 the first four or five months of their existence. 



If not sown " at stake/' cacao seeds are planted either 

 in a nursery made of wicker and palm-leaf, or in bamboo 

 pots on the spot upon which they are definitely intended 

 to grow. The seeds are planted 4 inches apart in rows 

 at intervals of 9 inches, the stringy centre of the pod 

 being planted downwards. 



When the seedlings are about a foot high they can 

 be planted out, an unbroken wall of earth being taken 

 up with each seedling. 



A month or two before transplanting takes place holes 

 about 3 feet square and 2 feet deep are dug, the sub -soil 

 being thrown into a heap alongside the hole. On steep 

 hill-slopes this soil is best placed on the lower side of 

 the hole. If water stagnates in the holes this indicates 

 that drainage is necessary and must receive attention 

 before planting commences. 



