374 COCOA CHAP. 



about the Saman, while others consider it as not at all 

 suitable for the purpose, and so also with Mijagua. The 

 Guamos are used on the mountains, but more as shade 

 for coffee. 



The following particulars especially concern the 

 western parts, where the Criollo and the fine Trinitario 

 are grown. 



The Criollo requires when young much more care 

 than the Forastero (Trinitario), especially as regards 

 weeding, shading, and irrigation. For without irrigation 

 the growing of cocoa, especially of Criollo, would be 

 impossible, and there hardly exists one plantation in" 

 Venezuela where cocoa is grown without irrigation. { 

 This is no wonder in this country, where the rainfall is 

 small (as already told, we find on the adjacent mountain 

 a typical xerophytic or dry-land vegetation of Cactus, 

 Agave, etc.), while Criollo is very sensitive to drought. 



Figures about rainfall in the cocoa districts seem not 

 to be available, but Preuss estimates the rainfall in the 

 cocoa districts near Guigue as amounting to no more 

 than 1200 to 1500 mm. 



Generally the irrigation is of a primitive sort : the 

 water in the river and the brooks is retained a little by 

 walls of stone, and from here the water is conducted into 

 the plantations by means of open trenches. 



Little is done in pruning ; only dead twigs and 

 watershoots are occasionally removed. 



Diseases have not been very serious up till now. 

 The blackening of pods is well known ; and, when the 

 weather is propitious for the disease, losses are sometimes 

 sustained. 



Picking is done with the ordinary cocoa-hook, which 

 is also in use in Trinidad and Surinam, while the pods 

 are opened with the cutlass, also in the same way as in 

 the countries mentioned. 



The Criollo comes into bearing later than the 

 Trinitario or Forastero. When five or six years old it 

 gives its first fruit, and only when seven or eight years 

 old the crop begins to get important, and at ten years 



