COCOA-GROWING COUNTRIES 387 



nursery beds the nursery is generally made in a 

 suitable corner near the house, and when the plants 

 have attained a height of 30 to 50 cm. they are re- 

 planted at the definite place. For this purpose the 

 natives pull the plants out of the nursery beds and 

 scrape with the hoe a small hole, which can just contain 

 the roots, and put in the plant. No manure of any 

 kind is added. 



In cutting the forest a certain number of trees are 

 left standing, and these furnish a light shade. Mostly 

 useful trees are chosen, as, for instance, the oil-palm 

 (Elaeis guineensis\ the Cola nut (Cola acuminata), 

 and the native rubber (Kickxia elastica), but also 

 the Rokko (Chlorophora excelsa), Cola cordifolia, 

 Piptadenia africana and different species of Albizzia. 



No care is spent on these trees, and, according to 

 Chevalier, the oil-palms get sometimes troublesome by 

 the great many epiphytes on the old, dry stalks of the 

 fallen leaves. 



As a catch-crop, more than for temporary shade, 

 plantains are planted between the young cocoa plants, 

 also cassava and tanias. 



Generally speaking, cocoa-growing on the Gold Coast 

 may be called in every sense a haphazard one. The 

 weeds are left growing too long between the trees ; 

 pruning is very rarely done, and even the suckers are 

 generally left. Only in the neighbourhood of the 

 Aburi Station is the good example given by the Station 

 followed, and a little more care given to the cultivation. 



It is not to be wondered at that trees treated in 

 this way have only a short life and, as is reported, 

 they often begin to die at the age of twelve years. By 

 cutting the whole tree back, leaving only a stump of 

 the stem, a new growth can be obtained and the life of 

 the tree may be lengthened. 



The fact that the cultivations are suffering from 

 different insects and fungi pests may partly also be 

 attributed to the careless way of cultivating. Much 

 damage is done throughout the Colony and Protectorate 



