16 MANURING AND PRUNING. 



would be non productive and loss of crop would result. A tref% 

 like a horse, can do more work when in " condition" and with 

 less exertion than it can if overfed and surfeited. 



Manure may with advantage be applied to a tree, should ib 

 be found that the plant has set itself more work to do than it) 

 can efficiently carry out (i.e.) by setting a larger crop of fruit 

 than usual. In such a case the application would cartainly be 

 beneficial and enable the tree to carry a crop which, under 

 ordinary circumstances and without manure, it would not be able 

 to, but the application of manure to a tree before the fruit is 

 formed, or at any early period of its growth, would probably 

 result in inciting the -tree to produce a large amount of branch 

 growth, to the detriment of the fruit, which would probably fall. 



It will be seen therefore, that the application of manures to 

 Cacao requires great judgment and should only be done under 

 the personal supervision of a skilful cultivator, or loss may 

 result. Where, however, the plantation will evidently be the 

 better as a whole for the stimulating action of manure, owing to 

 a poor soil, its application may be made general and riot special 

 from tree to tree. But when chemical manure is appied il will 

 be best to handle it with the greatest caution. Farmyard or 

 stable manure can always be applied with much greater safety 

 than chemical manure, but its action is not so quickly apparent) 

 though its effects are more permanent. 



The application of manure is a subject upon which chemists 

 and vegetable physiologists ditfer in many respects. The chemist 

 is apt to insist upon the manure being buried beneath the soil, 

 or he says much of its value will be lost owing to the. dispersion 

 of its volatile properties by moving air, but the cultivator may 

 easily ascertain the best method of applying manures of all kind^s, 

 if he studies the life history and character of the plant aad the 

 nature and morphology of its organs of assimilation, and 

 moreover, the frequent showers of the tropics prevent any great 

 waste of the volatile constituents. To dig deeply about the 

 roots of a surface feeding plant for the purpose of applying 

 manure would be absolutely absurd, as we should thereby 

 destroy the very organs or mouths, which are needed to take up 

 the plant food presented to them, and which are situated in the 

 proper place to carry out tue process to the best advantage. 

 Practices of this kind, are often recommended by newcomers to 

 the tropics who have only had training in tiie agriculture of a 

 temperate climate. I have seen the practice carried out with 

 dire effect, more than once in Trinidad, and it is quite certain, 

 that although it may be carried out with considerable safety in a 

 temperate cnuiute, it is franglit with the greatest danger in tue- 



