^3 M-ANUKIXG AND PRUNING. 



The Cacao tree, although it likes a deep rich soil, is also a 

 surface fending plant, and the ground around the trees cannot 

 ; l;e dug or forked with impunity, for although the tree will stand 

 'fonsiderable hardship, it is nevertheless materially injured when 

 'the roots are mutilated. There are conditions, however, such as 

 "when the surface soil has been thoroughly baked by drought, 

 "when it would be beneficial to lightly prick it up with a fork, 

 'taking care not to break the roots. A slight forking is however 

 permissible at times previous to applying farm-yard manure 

 "no >n the surface : having due regard of course to what has been 

 >ai 1 in the foregoing on the injury caused by the injudicious; use 

 -rf fork and spade. Manure 1 applied to the surface should be 

 covered if possible with a thin layer of earth, but if applied in 

 lhe form of compost, this is not so necessary an operation, as the 

 'volatile constituents of the manure are then in a great measure 

 lield fast. 



In applying chemical manures of a caustic character, it is 

 .^always well to mix them with a suitable proportion of absorbent 

 earth, and to cover ag-iin with a coating of the same material. 

 The primary object in applying manure is to maintain a due 

 proportion of plant food when land has become exhausted of its 

 natural constituents, or to supply something in which the land 

 "is deficient. It is of course patent that with the continued 

 production of annual crops a large quantity of material is 

 [removed from the soil, and this must be replaced either by 

 anature, or artificially, or the crop will fall short. Farm-yard 

 .manure takes a foremost position for this purpose amongst all 

 others, and long continued practice shows that when properly 

 -applied it is of the greatest value to the land, not only for its 

 vnanurial properties, but also for its mechanical action upon the 

 soil, and moreover, it can never be as dangerous to use as 

 chemical manures, which are admitted to be decidedly hazardous 

 'when applied by unskilled labour. By unskilled labour I do not/ 

 mean the peasant or farm hand only, but I refer to educated 

 people who take up the business of agriculture without due 

 5>tudy, acting under the impression that they 'W-ere " born" to till 

 "-the ground. 



In some cases quick lime becomes a powerful ally to the 

 ^rultivator, but on the other hand its undue application tends to 

 <exliaust the soil of valuable constituents, and therefore it should 

 always be used with great caution. In nature, manure is given 

 t.o the roots of trees by the decomposition of vegetable and 

 mineral substances, and is carried downwards by rain- water, 

 worms, and other agencies. Rain ^water itself also provides a 

 certain quantity of plant food in solution. The plant or tree 

 -does not however, obtain all iUrfuud- from the soil, as the 



