322 COCOA 



CHAP. 



which explains why so much care should be spent on 

 preparing the plant-holes. 



Shade. In San Thome cocoa is always cultivated 

 under shade, and Chevalier believes it to be indispens- 

 able for West Africa. 



For the purpose of shading the plants during the 

 first few years bananas are everywhere used, the prota 

 (banana) as well as thepdo (plantain). They are planted 

 six months before the cocoa. Sometimes they are put 

 in rows, one banana to two cocoa trees, but mostly 

 irregularly. Until the fourth year these are considered 

 as absolutely necessary, after that time the cocoa trees 

 grow larger and the shade trees give the only protection. 



A great many different trees are used. Sometimes 

 the original trees are spared when clearing the forest. 

 Chevalier mentions many of them, among which the 

 Elaeis (the oil-palm) is regarded by him as very suit- 

 able. Where these trees are planted at about 10 m. 

 (33 feet distance) they seem to afford an excellent 

 shade. Fruit trees are also used, and among them the 

 advocade (Per sea gratissima) is much appreciated. 

 Erythrinas on the contrary are not used at all. 



It is remarkable that in San Thome so many different 

 trees are used for shade. It shows that the planters 

 are not over-particular in this respect. Many trees are 

 mentioned of which it is hardly to be believed that 

 they are suitable for the purpose ; the oil-palm, like 

 many other palms, demands too much space for its 

 roots to allow the cocoa tree to thrive vigorously next 

 to it. In other countries one or two trees have been 

 found to be most fit as shade trees, and, without going 

 further into the question, we may say that a tree must 

 have very special characters to be in all respects fit as a 

 shade tree (see Chapter VI.) ; there is no doubt that trees 

 belonging to the order of Leguminosae possess these 

 qualities. 



It is very likely that as regards experiments with 

 shade trees, much remains to be done in San Thome" ; 

 and before trying to keep up the quality of the soil by 



