COCOA-GROWING COUNTRIES 337 



And the worst is, that in such cases the owner can do 

 very little against the contractor, as he is generally 

 without a penny, and any attempt to recover damages 

 would be useless. 



Therefore many a proprietor prefers to have his I 

 cocoa planted by "j.ay lflb^ 11T< " under his own super-/ 

 vision, if he cannot get a reliable contractor, of whose 

 honesty he is sure. 



Sometimes an intermediate plan is followed, and the 

 owner supplies the contractor with seed and with some 

 men chosen among his own labourers. 



The upkeep of regular plantations is performed by 

 the planter with a certain number of labourers who are 

 living on the plantation. They are partly negroes, 

 partly East-Indian immigrants. 



All labour is done as far as possible by task-work. 

 For instance, for the cleaning of 100 cocoa trees planted I 

 at 14 feet distance about 37 cents is paid, making the! 

 cost of weeding one acre about 75 cents, the picking J 

 of 110 Ibs. cocoa 70 cents (1 cent = one halfpenny). 



This comparatively cheap labour and the easy way I 

 in which cocoa can be cultivated in Trinidad no| 

 drainage being necessary and no very noxious diseases 

 being prevalent make the cost of production low 

 and cocoa-growing very remunerative. According to 

 Mr. Edgar Tripp the cost of production, apart from 

 capital charges, is on the best estates about $7 per I 

 " fanega " (110 Ibs.), rising to $10 per " fanega "on less / 

 fertile or less well-managed properties ($l = 4s. 2d.), 

 included putting on the market at Port of Spain. 



For clearing the forest the dry season February, 

 March, April is preferred, to permit a thorough burning. 

 No forest trees are left for shade ; the shade trees are all 

 planted. In former times forest trees were sometimes 

 left, and in old cultivations the large sand-box trees 

 (Hura crepitans) standing in the cocoa fields are 

 often troublesome. The reason for leaving this tree 

 may be found in the fact that the bark is very 

 poisonous and dangerous to the skin and eyes. In 



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