186 COCOA 



CHAP. 



In San Thome, also, one sucker is sometimes allowed 

 to grow up if the stem has made its ramification at 

 a height of about 60 centimetres (24 inches), which is 

 considered to be too low. The sucker is then left 

 growing in order to form a new ramification above the 

 first one. The lowest branches are left until the top 

 one is bearing generally in the second or third year 

 of its formation and then the lower branches are cut 

 quite close to the stem. 1 Though this system seems to 

 have more to recommend it than that of either Java 

 or Ecuador, because the result is only one stem with 

 one main ramification, its general adoption is not to 

 be advised. In most countries the planter is able to 

 regulate more or less the height of ramification. If the 

 young tree is grown under dense shade of bananas for 

 preference it will grow higher up before it ramifies ; 

 if the shade is light, the ramification takes place lower. 

 Probably the system adopted in San Thome is only a 

 consequence of leaving forest trees standing in clearing 

 the forest and planting no special trees to act as 

 temporary shade as we have seen, a very inadvisable 

 plan. The same bad method is followed in Java when 

 cocoa is planted in an old coffee field to replace this 

 no longer paying crop. In this case it is generally the 

 " dadap " (Erytlirina) which is left standing, and the 

 young cocoa is grown under this tree, which is splendid 

 for permanent shade, but, like all high trees, unsuitable 

 as a temporary shade for the young plant. 



The author's conclusion is, therefore, that there is 

 only one case in which it is either necessary or desirable 

 to let a sucker grow up. This is when a tree has been 

 severely injured or damaged in its stem or branches 

 e.g. by borers or otherwise while the root-system is 

 still healthy. In such a case the tree may be quite 

 rejuvenated by allowing a sucker to grow up from the 

 foot of the stem and cutting away the old tree when 

 the sucker seems strong enough, or by cutting away 

 the old tree first, leaving only a short stump on 



1 Chevalier, Le Cacaoyer dans V Quest africain, pp. 118-120. 



