THE CULTIVATION OF COCOA 197 



it has attained a certain development, generally in its 

 fifth year ; but there seems no reason to suppose that 

 the production of a few fruits in the third and fourth 

 years weakens the tree to any extent, and the author 

 consequently sees no reason to recommend this practice. 



These statements apply only to the Forastero 

 varieties ; the Criollo comes into bearing later, and 

 generally gives no fruit at all before its fifth year. 



The age of bearing and the bearing power are 



By permission of Mr. Monteiro de Mendon$a. 

 FIG. 66. Shelling the pods (San Thome). 



influenced not only by the variety of the tree, but also 

 by conditions of climate and cultivation. Very apparent, 

 for instance, is the influence of the amount of shade. 

 When the trees are cultivated without shade, the pro- 

 duction is earlier and a full crop is obtained in the fifth 

 or sixth year ; and when the cultivation is careful, the 

 yield is also a high one. On the other hand, however, 

 the lifetime of the tree is shortened. 



It is easy to obtain a too favourable impression of 

 the productiveness of the cocoa tree, for there seems to 



