16 SOIL REQUIREMENTS OF THE COCOA TREE 



COMPOSITION OF THE ASH OF THE COCOA TBEE 



The Report of the Ceylon Botanical Gardens for 

 1908 states: "The analysis of the young and old cocoa 

 leaves, to ascertain the storage and transference of 

 inorganic constituents during and after the periods of 

 rapid growth, is interesting as showing the increase 

 of potash and phosphoric acid in the more actively 

 growing parts and their transference to other parts of 

 the trees when the leaves are ready to fall. 



"A marked feature is the large proportion of silicates 

 in the older leaves, amounting to from 43 to 54 per cent, 

 of the ash, and apparently chiefly combined with lime 

 and magnesia, while the potash and phosphoric acid in 

 the young red leaves and twigs amount to about 35 

 per cent, and 10 per cent, respectively ; in the older 

 leaves they only amount to 5 per cent, and 2'5 per cent., 

 and fallen leaves have still less. The ratio of lime, 

 magnesia, potash, and phosphoric acid in the ash of the 

 young leaves is as 6:4:2: 1, showing the necessity of 

 ample, easily available lime and magnesia in the soil, 

 as well as potash, if the growth of the cocoa is to be 

 luxuriant." 



Harrison recorded the constituents in the various 

 parts of the fruit of the Forastero and Calabacillo 

 varieties as follows : 



