31 
tection, sun protection or both, and probably no one woulu 
advocate leaving even an old plantation without some kind 
of protection. The practical questions therefore are: Which 
plants will give adequate protection? Will they thrive in 
this locality and in this soil? Are they of any value for 
commercial purposes, for food or for manure, or are they fit 
for protection only? Should they be planted so as to give 
shade to the cacao tree or in belts a certain distance apart 
for wind protection? 
In older plantations large trees were usually planted 
among the cacao trees for the purpose of shading these, and 
trees belonging to the leguminous family were chosen be- 
cause they were recognized as being of greatest value al- 
though the reason for that was not always known. Planters 
now usually know that such trees are of manurial value 
because they feed on nitrogen from the air, part of which 
is given to the cacao tree in the form of dropping leaves and 
flowers. Among such shade trees the Erythinas seems to 
take first rank. There are several species but they all go 
under the name of Madre de Cacao in Spanish countries and 
Mortel or Immortel in English. 
Gliricidia maculata is another tree frequently used and 
this is also called Madre de Cacao or Mother of Cacao, 
a name adopted by the Spanish in Central and South Amer- 
ica. Pithecolobium saman, the saman or guango as it is 
commonly called is also frequently used. 
It is quite probable however, that in the future very 
few of these trees will be planted for the purpose of shade, 
but they will undoubtedly all of them be used fcr wind 
belts, for which purpose any reasonably fast growing tree 
may be used provided it is long-lived, wind resistant and 
not subject to any disease that is common to the cacao 
trees. 
