332 



COCOA 



CHAP. 



a good cocoa soil may be given here. I select one of 

 the several soils analysed by Professor Carmody, the 

 Government Analyst, now Director of Agriculture. 



Composition of the dry soil (the hundred and 

 thousand decimal parts have been neglected) : 



Loss on ignition (mostly 



organic substances) . 7*0 

 Iron Oxide Fe 2 3 . .2-1 

 Alumina A1 2 3 . . 5*7 



Lime CaO . . . Ol 

 Magnesia MgO . . . 0'4 



Potash K 2 O . . . 0-3 



Soda Na 2 6 . . . Ol 



Phosphoric Acid P 2 5 . Ol 



Sulphuric Acid S0 3 . . Ovl 



Chlorine Cl . . O'l 



Insoluble Silicates . 84'0 



Of the part lost on ignition, the nitrogen amounted 

 to 0'13 per cent. 



But these figures are not so very important, for it is 

 well known that the chemical composition of the soil 

 gives no reliable data as to its agricultural value. In 

 Trinidad, as in all other countries, the planters know 

 how to distinguish the different soils and approximately 

 estimate their value as cocoa soils. The wild plants 

 may assist to frame such an estimate. Olivieri 

 mentions the following trees as indicating that the 

 soil is good and fertile : the wild fig tree (Ficus sp. ?), 

 the mountain -cabbage (Oreodoxa sp.?), the cedar 

 (Cedrela odorata), the wild plum tree or moubin 

 (Spondias lutea\ the sand-box tree (Hura crepitans), 

 the trumpet tree (Cecropia peltata), the bois lezard- 

 fidele ( Vitex capitata), etc. 



It is remarkable that several of these trees, which 

 are regarded as indicators of a fertile soil, grow in 

 Surinam by preference on light soils, generally too 

 poor for successful cocoa cultivation. As regards the 

 undergrowth in Trinidad, the balisier (Heliconia), the 

 wild tanias (Caladium), the black roseau (Bactris), 

 and other plants are supposed to grow on soils fit for 

 cocoa culture. 



One of the most appreciated soils is the so-called 

 " chocolate soil," which has the brown colour of chocolate ; 

 it is considered to be very productive. 



