386 USEFUL PLAXTS OF GUAM. 



Leaves large, midivideiA, smijoth, liroad, pointeil, ;uid of a thin texture; of a re'ldis 

 color and hanging limp from the branches when young, but soon turning green iiv, 

 becoming firm: flowers produced from adventitious buds under the bark, usually : 

 the "eyes," or points marked liy the scars of fallen leaves, small, growing in cluste 

 or solitary, usually only tme <A a cluster ■developing into fruit; calyx 5-partetl, oft* 

 of a pinkish color; petals o, yellowish, concave at the base and having a strap-ID 

 appendage at the tip; stamens 10, united at the base into a cup. o without anthe 

 and the other 5 alternating with them l>t>aring 2 double-celled anthers each; sty 

 thread-like, terminating in a o-cleft stigma; fritit somewhat like a cucumber in shap 

 15 to 25 cm. long, yellow or reddish, longitudinally ribbed, the rinvl thick and wart; 

 leathery and tc:>ugh, not splitting when ripe. 5-celled. and containing many seeds : 

 a soft butter-like jmlp of a pleasant sweetish-acid flavor; seeds compressed, som 

 what almond-shaped, with a thin, pale, reddish-brown, fragile skin or shell, cove 

 ing an oily, ar.jmatic, bitter kernel, which consists mostly of the crmnpled cotyledon 



If taken fr.^u the pod the seed soon loses its vitality. It is consequently difficu 

 to transport it to distant countries unless in a germinating eoni_liti<_in or in ripe ]iod 

 which, if kept cool, will last ten days or perhaps two weeks. 



Cacao must be grown in sheltered situations. The best soil is that of valleys mat 

 by the decomposition of volcanic rocks and containing organic matter, as at San 

 Rosa, Yigii. and ^Nlataguag in the northern part of the island of Guam, and alluvi 

 deposits along the banks of streams, as in the valleys of Ilig and TarOifofo, on tl 

 east coast. Consideralile depth is necessary, as the tree has a long taproot. The tre 

 will not bear exposure to the lirisk traile winds, which are almost constantly lilowii 

 in Guam. Whole plantations are sometimes blasted by the bagnios, or hurricane 

 which visit the islan^l. 



The sec'ls are jilanted fresh from the pods in sementeras, or nurseries. The}' a: 

 taken from the l:>est ami largest pods, whicli are jiicke'l from the test-bearing tre< 

 perfectly riju- and kept for a week ov ten da>s. Chi opening the pod it is n( 

 unusual tti find that the seeds have already begun to germinate. The best pods a: 

 those gro-iNing on the trunk, and from them the largest seed should be selects 

 They are placed in the ground abDut 1 inch below the surface, so that the poii 

 where each seed Mas attached to the placenta is lowermost, thus avoiding a crook( 

 stem and taproot, which are very delicate ancl easily injured in transplantin 

 The rows are about 25 cm. apart, with the seed set at intervals of about 10 cm. Th( 

 sprout in a few days and in a few weeks' time they are ready for transplanting. Tl 

 best time for transplanting is the lieginning of the rainy season. Great care must thi 

 be taken, as a slii;ht injury to the taproot will kill the plant. The plants given 

 the writer Ijy Mr. Pavid Haughs in Honolulu were grown from seed planted in pol 

 A very good way to i>ropLigate them is to plant them in bamboo joints, which mi 

 l.ie filled with gooil flue earth and sunk in the ground. When ready for transplanti 

 the barn) loo is split and the ball of earth surrounding the tender roots left intai 

 ."r^ometimes the seeds are planted on the site chosen for the plantation, so that trai 

 planting will not be necessary. In this case the ground is cleared and straight re 

 ■1 to 5 meters apart markeil out l\v lines. The rows may lie a little closer togeth 

 than this in places where the cacao ilot-s not send out very l.mg branches, anc 

 meters apart where the soil is deep and rich, taking care to jdant the seeds in o 

 row opposite the miildle <<i the interval of the r.iw next to it. The position of ea 

 hill is indicated by a stake, around which 3 or 4 seeils are planted about 

 cm. apart. All the seeds may grow, yet only the most thrifty one is allowed 

 remain, the rest Vieing either pulled up and thrown ana\" or carefully removed wi 

 a ball of earth attached to the roots and planted in the places where seeds ha 

 failed to sprout or set out in another field, as in the case cif plants grown 

 sementeras. 



In clearing land for planting cacao a few trees are sometimes left for shaile. exce 

 in moist valleys, where they are not necessary. 



