76 COCONUTS, KERNELS, AND CACAO. 



A few days previous to transplanting the young cacao 

 plants, the holes are filled with any rich surface-soil 

 in the neighbourhood, or, should this not be available, 

 a good layer of animal manure is placed at the bottom 

 of the hole. 



The best time for planting cacao is at the commence- 

 ment of the rainy season, as this gives the young plants 

 sufficient time to become thoroughly established before 

 the dry weather appears. Having partly accustomed 

 the young nursery plants to the conditions of the open 

 field, by removing all shade from them, transplanting 

 commences during a spell of wet or cloudy weather. 

 The soil is first thoroughly saturated with water in the 

 baskets or pots, to facilitate the subsequent removal of 

 the plants. The roots are disturbed as little as possible, 

 and not buried too deeply in the ground ; it is sufficient 

 if the surface-soil is on a level with the top of the ball of 

 earth taken from the pot or basket. Should this ball 

 be broken, the roots in the ground are buried so that 

 the surface-soil just reaches the point where the stem 

 issues from the soil in the pot. Large numbers of young 

 cacao plants fail to grow satisfactorily if they have been 

 planted too deeply or too far out of the ground. The 

 soil is firmly pressed around the ball of earth enclosing 

 the roots ; but it is almost impossible to carry out trans- 

 planting without slightly disturbing the roots. 



Leafy twigs or palm leaves bent over in the form of 

 a cage, provide the necessary shade until the young plants 

 start into growth. 



Should a spell of dry weather set in before they be- 

 come established, as many as 30 per cent, of the plants 

 perish during the first year following the establishment 



