70 
211. The postion and prospects of Grenada cacao are discussed 
by so capable an authority as Mr. Gu urney in the following 
words :—“ atic pirar to the fall in price for ereo via 
“of about one-fourth, during the past two years, ing 
* impossible to foretell how prices neds go in the erat cae 
“Iam salted to ae they will not go much, if any, lower, at 
“any rate for some years), I consider ths cultivation as at une 
“ establis Te in TPKE YAE is sound and profitabie 
“From my experience cacao is not to be relied on to give a 
A apperaat average crop above the altitude of, say, from 600 
“ to 800 feet. At an altitude higher than me the seasons affect 
“ the t ee “ade A successive wet seasons, of which we 
“ have had more than our share of late TE, besides mountain 
“lands are fae more Srpenaive to work and in order, also 
arasites, moss, oe which in the lower land they are com- 
“ paratively free fro 
“ As a general rule I consider cacao trees to be in full bearing 
“at nine to ten years of age, at which age five to six hundred- 
“ weight per acre is a fair return, and should be the average 
“output per acre for 20 years to ae gate the cacao 
“ receives ordinary care and tillage. 
“ At present range of prices the net result may be taken as at 
“ 40s. per hundredweight, equal to 10/. to 127. per acre; an 
“ cost, say at 3/ .per eases ncluding cost of curing, produc 
“but it must be r mbered this applies only to a oes 
“ established, coveredin piece of cacao. Taking the average cost 
“ per of, s , 1} PE (168 lbs.) to proprietors 
“ working a. ona ee scale, each bag of cacao costs 1%. 5s. 
“ to 17. 15s. ; in other words, 100 acres of fairly established cacao 
“should yield, say, 300 bags, realising 9007. The cost of produc- 
“ tion of this quantity would probably be 4507. to 500/., including 
“ staff, curing, porterage, shipping expenses, &c. 
“ Cacao cultivation has been extended during the past 20 years, 
“mainly through the labouring classes obtaining by purchase 
- wag have planted up a large area of rented garden lands in 
cacao on the different estates throughout the coma Seapets ps 
“ sotitted ec gain have been planting up all the Wh 
private lands have been bo ught by labourers EV Gane 
oO 
A 
s in the 
hina been sold for 4/. to 6/. per acre. In all cases easy terms of 
payment were arranged. 
2. In the Report of the Agricultural Commission of 1895 the 
a suggestions were offered in regard to the maintenance 
of the 
