38 PROPAGATION 



such a shelter the work of irrigating the young plants 

 will be considerably lessened and the young seedlings 

 will be protected from heavy rains and scorching sun. 



Most estate labourers are adept at making, from stout 

 palm leaves, split bamboos, young pliable twigs, or 

 strips cut from the outside layer of the petiole of palm 

 leaves, baskets in which to raise young plants. Such 

 baskets vary from 9 in. to a foot in height and in diameter 

 from 4 to 6 in. 



Where suitable clay is available, plant pots may be 

 moulded from it and kiln-dried to harden them. 



Sections of large, hollow bamboo poles also make ex- 

 cellent pots in which to raise young plants. The poles 

 are sawn up into sections about one foot long. The 

 bottom of the pot is formed by sawing one end off about 

 an inch below an internode or division of the pole, a hole 

 being made in the bottom to permit water to drain 

 away. 



Bean Sowing. A few rough stones should be placed 

 at the bottom of the pot or basket to prevent fine soil 

 filtering through and to facilitate drainage ; then fill to 

 within 2 in. of the top with good, light, friable soil. It 

 is advisable to dry or remove the white, mucilaginous pulp 

 with which the beans are covered previous to sowing 

 them. This may be done by spreading them out in the 

 sun or by rubbing them with wood ashes. Provided 

 that the vitality of the beans is satisfactory, one bean is 

 sufficient to sow in each pot ; this should be placed on 

 the soil in the pots prepared in the manner above de- 

 scribed, and then covered with about half an inch of soil. 

 Press the latter closely around the bean, thoroughly 

 saturate the soil with water, and germination will take 

 place in five or six days. In order to provide for failures 

 in the plantation it is desirable to sow about 40 per cent, 

 more beans than the number of trees which it is decided to 

 establish in the plantation. 



The germinating properties of cocoa beans are generally 

 excellent, and the proportion of beans which germinate 

 often reaches as high as 98 per cent., but the mortality 

 of young trees in the plantation is relatively great. The 

 number of young plants which fail to grow may be 

 estimated at 25, 10, 5, and 2 percent, of the total number 

 of trees planted during the first, second, third, and fourth 



