436 



COCOA 



CHAP. 



Surinam must get rid of the superfluous water by 

 means of an elaborate system of canals (Fig. 128) which 

 communicate with the river by means of a sluice (Fig. 

 129). The sluice is closed at high-tide ; at ebb-tide, 

 when the water is sufficiently low, the sluice is opened 

 and the water flows from the plantation through the 

 main canal into the river. 



The soil is a very heavy clay soil of a compact 



Sluice 



River 

 FIG. 128. Scheme of a Surinam plantation, with its drainage system. 



a. Scheme of the whole plantation. 



b. Details of the drainage. 



consistency. It slowly gives away the rain-water it 

 has absorbed, and consequently the number of drain- 

 ing canals must be great. Generally the distance 

 between two canals is not more than about 30 feet 

 (10 metres) ; when the distance is greater, the centre 

 of the bed between the canals is insufficiently drained. 



Thus the whole plantation is divided into beds, 

 about 30 feet broad, and separated by small drains 

 about 3 feet wide and 2 feet deep, called "small 



