PLANTING AND SHADIHa, j^ 



cultivator does not go near enough to the Cacao tree to injure 

 its roots, and planters who reside upon their fields — as all 

 should do who are earnest for success — should endeavour to 

 plant crops of which he can readily dispose, and those which are 

 least exhausting to the land. 



Shade. 



The question of shade is one upon which much has been 

 writDen, and upon which there exists great divergence of opinion. 

 In the Island of Grenada the general practice is to grow Cacao 

 without shade- In Trinidad the prevailing practice is to give 

 the plants permanent shade by planting umbrageous trees at 

 regular intervals through the plantations. Each system has its 

 advantages and its disadvantages, and no hard and fast rule can 

 be laid down, but the novice would certainly be safe in follo^ving 

 the general practice of the district in which his land is situated, 

 giving due force to any surrounding circumstances which may 

 justify him in using a modification of the prevailing practice. 

 As stated in a previous chapter, the greatest care should be 

 taken in securing " windbreaks" on the side of the plantation 

 exposed to the prevailing winds, and belts of original Forest 

 should be left for this purpose if practicable, and if this is 

 impossible artificial protection should be secured by planting; 

 quick growing trees for prasent, and forest trees for permanent^ 

 protection. In Nicaragua, shade is grown sometimes for tWp, 

 years before the Cacao is planted, the hedges of Mango alluded| 

 to in a previous chapter being planted at the same time. Here, 

 also the shade trees are planted in the same rows with the 

 Cacao. These rows are placed some fifteen feet apart, but the 

 Cacao trees are placed close together in the rows, sometimes 

 not more than six or seven feet apart. This allows a better 

 chance for tillage between the rows and certainly improves the 

 appearance of the field, and I did not observe that the crop was 

 less in consequence. 



In Grenada the land in Cacao is sometimes undulating, but . 

 in the major part of the Cacao districts it is distinctly hilly.. 

 Where the aspect of the plantation affords by the conformation, 

 of the ground itself, shade or shelter from a particular direction, 

 artificial shade can certainly be dispensed with in a great 

 measure, but on level land in Trinidad the general practice goes 

 to prove that it is absolutely necessary, to produce Cacao to 

 perfection. 



For shade in the lower lying lands of Trinidad the tree 

 generally used is the " Bocare," or Erythrina velutina, which 

 affords a deep shade. For the higher lands the " Anauca," or 

 Erythrina umbrosa is used. Both are known, together with- 



