330 



COCOA 



CHA?. 



heavy drought many trees and sometimes whole areas 

 die, especially where the shade is scarce. From 

 these facts the planters regard a rather dense shade 

 as necessary. 



On the plantation La Reunion the rainfall seerns to 

 be greater, being in 1896, 1897, and 1898 : 2730, 2580, 

 and 2390 mm. 



The temperature ranges between 20 and 30 C. 



From January to June the prevailing winds are 



Photo. Jacobson. 

 FIG. 109. A six-years-old cocoa field on a Trinidad plantation. 



from ^fche east, while from June to October the winds 

 are more variable, and, when southerly, generally are 

 followed by or accompanied with rain. 



Cocoa is not grown to any great extent on the 

 alluvial flat lands. These are used for the cultivation 

 of sugar, corn, coconut-palms, or as pastures for cattle. 

 On the hills and mountains we find the cocoa plantations 

 (Figs. 109, 110), and it is a curious and beautiful sight, 

 when the shade trees or " immortelles " are flowering, to 



