VI 



THE CULTIVATION OF COCOA 163 



when the drought is very rigorous, it may happen that 

 the root-pruning causes the tree to suffer from drought. 

 In countries where this is to be feared the method of 

 " alternate forking " may be recommended. This con- 

 sists in forking only every other space between two 

 rows (see Fig. 57) e.g. the spaces between rows 1 and 2, 

 between rows 3 and 4, and between rows 5 and 6, 



FIG. 57. Sketch of "alternate forking" ( white = un forked ; shaded forked). 



The cocoa trees are indicated by x ; the rows are planted at a distance of 15 feet, and the 

 trees in each row are 18 feet apart. Round each tree a distance of 2 feet is left unforked, and 

 the spaces between the rows are alternately forked and left unforked. 



but leaving unforked the spaces between rows 2 and 

 3, between rows 4 and 5, and between rows 6 and 

 7, etc. In this way only one half of the root-system 

 of each tree is pruned, so that if a drought begins 

 before the pruned part has made new rootlets, the 

 unpruned part is still there to prevent the tree suffering 

 from drought. 



It has been mentioned that forking is neglected in 



