124 PLANTING IN UGANDA 



ripe pods. In Ceylon tapping the pods as a 

 test for ripeness is practised, a ripe pod 

 being supposed to give a hollow sound. Our 

 Buganda natives profess to be able to tell a 

 ripe pod by its scent. We have never been able 

 to detect any difference in scent between ripe and 

 unripe pods, but we are bound to admit we have 

 often seen a native detect a ripe pod, which by its 

 appearance we would have declared unripe. 

 These methods are, however, of little importance, 

 as they cannot be adopted for the many pods which 

 are out of reach ; and as the bulk of the crop will 

 be produced at such a height, the only practicable 

 way of judging is by colour and appearance. 



As explained elsewhere, the flowers of the Cocoa 

 tree are produced in indefinite bunches, or, as 

 Hart more clearly describes it, on cushions. The 

 short thick stalk on the Cocoa pod is hard and 

 woody, with no point of articulation, and cannot 

 be pulled or twisted off without damaging the 

 flowering cushion from which it arises. It must, 

 therefore, be cut off with a sharp knife. It should 

 be severed close to the pod to avoid the possibility 

 of destroying other pods or flowers. 



For picking pods beyond the reach of the hand 



