INDICATIONS OF SUITABLE COCOA SOILS 19 



For comparison with the preceding the following 

 analyses of Ceylon cocoa soils have been extracted from 

 a circular of the Botanical Department for 1905. 



COMPOSITION OF CEYLON COCOA SOILS 



A soil may have all the chemical constituents necessary 

 for plant nutrition, but if it is not in a good physical 

 condition satisfactory results will not be obtained. 

 This is another important reason why a chemical analysis 

 of a soil is often by itself of little value. Heavy clays 

 or water-logged soils are unsuited to cocoa cultivation, 

 as also are briny soils, such as those often found on 

 low-lying lands near the sea-shore. 



On new lands the character of the indigenous vege- 

 tation frequently furnishes a valuable guide to the 

 prospective planter. Land on which nothing but poor, 

 scrubby vegetation is found is most unlikely to be 

 suitable. When planted in shallow land good returns 

 are sometimes obtained for a few years, but as soon 

 as the tree's roots have traversed the rich layer of surface- 

 soil and encounter a sterile stratum below, the tree is 



