16 MANURING AND PRUNIX3. 



■would be non-productive and loss of crop would result. A tree, 

 like a horse, can do more work when in "condition" and with 

 less exertion than it can if overfed and surfeited. 



Manure may with advantage be applied to a tree, should ib 

 he found that the plant has set itself more work to do than it) 

 can efficiently carry out (i,6.) by settling a larger crop of fruit 

 than usual. In such a case the application would cartainly be 

 beneficial and enable the tree to carry a. crop which, under 

 ordinary circumstances and without manui'ti, it would not be able 

 to, but the application of manure to a tree before the fruit is 

 formed, or at any early period of its growth, would probably 

 result in inciting the tree to produce a large amount of branch 

 growth, to the detriment of the fruit, which would probably fall. 



It will be seen therefore, that the application of manures to 

 Cacao requires great judgment and should only be done under 

 the personal supervision of a skilful cultivator, or loss may 

 result. Where, however, the plantatioii will evidently be the 

 better as a whole for the stimulating action of manure, owing to 

 a poor soil, its application may be made general and not special 

 from tree to tree. But when chemical manure is appled it will 

 be best to handle it with the greatest caution. Farmyard or 

 stable tnanure can always be applied with much greater sare:y 

 than chemical manure, but its action is not so quickly appaieiit 

 though its eflects are more permanent. 



The application of manure is a subject upon which chemists 

 and vegetable physiologists differ in many respects. The cli,emist 

 is apt to insist upon the manure being, buried beneath the soil, 

 or he says much of its value will be lost owing to the, dispersion 

 of its ; vo,l3,tile properties by moving air, but the cultivator may 

 easily ascertain the best, method, of applying manures of all kinds, 

 if he, studies the, life history and chaiauter of the plant and the 

 nature and morphology of its organs of, assimiUtion, and 

 jnoreover, th^, frequent showers of thu tropics^ pie veut any great 

 ■waste of the,, volatile constitu,ent.s, To dig. deeply abciUt the 

 roots of, a suirface feeding plant for,, the purpose of, apj lying 

 manure would be absolutely absurd, as we should, thereby 

 destroy the very organs or uioulhs, which. are needed to, take up 

 the, pla,nt food, presented to, them, and which are situated in the 

 proper place tp carry (lut the process to the best advantage. 

 Practices of this kind, are uften recominenued by neyvcomers to 

 the tropics who have only had training in tiie agriculture of a 

 tempierate climate. I have seen the practice carried out with 

 dire 'efi«ct, more than, once in Trinidad, and itis quite certa,ih, 

 that althong^ it may bf; carried out with considerable safety in a 

 tempersjite -ciimate, it is fra'.ijjlit wii.h the greatest danger in the 

 tv'picij' -v"' ii- ■,■■.■ I- .'' ■■ ■ ' ' 



