COCOA-GROWING COUNTRIES 421 



vating indigo on separate fields, and using the plants 

 as manure for the cocoa. This may demonstrate how 

 badly the necessity of manuring is felt in Java. 



Also as regards soil management opinions differ. 

 This is not to be wondered at, on account of the great 

 differences existing between the various kinds of soil 

 in Java. On some estates, especially where the soil is 

 clayish, it is considered good to give, if possible, every 

 year a hoeing, but often, especially on stony soils, this 

 is not considered necessary, while some planters are even 

 of opinion that cocoa cannot stand a thorough root 

 pruning. 



Not long ago it was a generally adopted system 

 to allow one sucker under the ramification (Fig. 61, 

 page 185). It may be considered probable that this 

 system was in consequence of the low height of the 

 branching of cocoa trees which had grown up in the old 

 coffee fields under the light shade of dadap or Albizzia, 

 without the more dense temporary shade of bananas. 



Though the adaptation of this system may have 

 had some advantages there is no reason to regard it 

 as a necessity. Two branch- and leaf-systems are thus 

 formed, the lower one by the ordinary ramification of 

 the stem, and the upper one by the ramification of one 

 of the suckers, and in consequence an irregular form of 

 tree is formed which makes pruning, cleaning, and 

 treatment against diseases and pests difficult. 



The system has therefore been gradually abandoned. 

 In the younger cocoa fields the ordinary method has 

 been followed, leaving no root-suckers, so that the 

 crown of the tree is only formed by the main ramification 

 of the stem. 



As in all countries, pruning is done in different 

 ways ; on some estates it is not considered necessary, 

 while on others much care is spent to give a regular form 

 to the trees and keep the branch system open in centre. 



On one estate the old Ecuador system is followed, 

 and all the suckers which sprout out at the foot 

 of the stem are left growing. In this way each tree 



