COCOA-GROWING COUNTRIES 343 



is not very good. The legume or pod of the " Bocare" 

 is about 9 to 12 cm. long and contains two to five 

 seeds. 



The " Anauca " or " Nauclero " (Erythrina umbrosa) 

 is only grown on the high lands, where the soil is of 

 good quality ; in low lands and poor soils it does not 

 succeed. Wherever it grows well, the "Anauca " attains 

 a much greater height than the " Bocare" and does not 



O O 



afford so dense a shade ; it is planted at wider distances 

 apart, generally at 40 to 45 feet. The . bark of this 

 shade tree is coarser than in the " Bocare," while the 

 thorny nipples are more profuse and sharper, but less 

 prominent. The legume or pod of the "Anauca" 

 measures about 15 to 30 cm. in length and contains 

 from five to eleven seeds. 



These two Erythrinas are in general use in Trinidad. 

 They suit the purpose extremely well, giving the right 

 amount of shade to the plant and to the soil, and giving 

 a rich humus, dropping all their leaves in the dry season 

 a very useful character, which has already been dis- 

 cussed in Chapter VI. 



Another useful character of the " immortelles " is the 

 luxuriant profusion of their annual harvest of flowers. 

 Carmody analysed these flowers and found that they 

 were rich in nitrogen ; fifty immortelles (the number 

 standing on 1 acre) yielding 500 Ibs. of dry flowers 

 containing not less than 24 Ibs. of nitrogen. 



It has been suggested that the " Saman" (Pitheco- 

 lobium Saman) would advantageously replace the 

 immortelles as a shade tree for cocoa. But the general 

 opinion is not in favour of this view. The shade of this 

 big tree with its enormous foliage system is considered 

 too dense, and it does not drop its leaves in the dry 

 season, leaving this character to the advantage of the 

 immortelles. Besides, the wood is brittle. Terminalia 

 bellerica, which produces the "myrabolan" of commerce, 

 has also been suggested. I cannot recommend this tree. 



In the low lands where the "Bocare" is used, this 

 shade tree is planted rather closely one shade tree to 



