THE CULTIVATION OF COCOA 123 



large as those growing under more favourable conditions, 

 will not take possession or protect as wide an area of 

 land, and can therefore be planted closer together." 



Thus in Surinam the trees are planted closer on 

 sandy soil than on rich clay soil ; on the latter a 

 distance of 15 feet is generally considered too small 

 and 18 feet is preferred, but on the sand 15 feet or 

 even a little less seems the best distance. In Trinidad 

 the soil is not so rich as in Surinam, so that the 

 trees are accordingly planted closer together, and still 

 closer on ridges and elevations where the soil is poorer 

 than on flat lands. The distances vary, generally 

 speaking, from 12 to 15 feet. 2 



The different varieties develop their branches and 

 foliage in different ways. The Criollo and pentagona 

 have often a comparatively weak growth, and accord- 

 ingly the space required by these varieties, and the 

 planting distance to be given, are smaller than in the 

 case of Forastero varieties. The figures of 15 and 18 

 feet given above for Surinam apply to the only variety 

 grown there, viz. Surinam Amelonado. In countries 

 where the finer varieties are grown, especially in 

 Venezuela, the planting distance is generally smaller, 

 and Preuss 3 states that in that country the trees are 

 generally planted at a distance of 12 feet, sometimes 

 less, but very rarely more ; and this seems to be a well- 

 chosen distance. In Java, however, the Criollo makes 

 strong and big trees on suitable soil and the foliage 

 system is not thin ; but the trees do not spread out 

 their branches as Forastero does, and 15 feet is generally 

 considered to be the best distance. 



The shade given has to be carefully taken into 

 account in deciding the planting distance, and 

 ignorance of this is one of the main reasons why 

 experiments with the cultivation of cocoa without 

 shade have failed in so many cases. As will be pointed 



1 Wright, Cocoa, p. 65. 



2 Olivieri, Treatise (1903), p. 60 ; Hart, Cacao (1911), p. 36. 

 3 Preuss, Expedition, p. 229. 



