30 SHADING AND INTER-CROPS FOR COCOA 



properly removed cocoa could be grown there without it. 

 Permanent shade for cocoa is generally considered neces- 

 sary in Central America, Ceylon, Trinidad, Fiji, Tobago, 

 British Honduras, Samoa, and the whole of West Africa, 

 including San Thome. 



If a planter has doubts as to the beneficial effects of 

 shade it would be most unwise for him to remove it 

 all at once. The shade might be reduced by degrees 

 from a small selected area and the effects noted. His 

 decision should not be made from the results observed 

 during a single year in view of the varying climatic 

 conditions which many countries experience during 

 different years. 



In countries where cocoa is grown a planter establish- 

 ing a new plantation should be guided by the methods 

 adopted on the most promising plantations. The amount 

 of shade required is to a very large extent dependent 

 upon the climatic conditions which obtain. Shade trees, 

 in addition to protecting the cocoa tree from the sun, 

 act as a wind-break and assist in preserving soil-moisture 

 during periods of drought. 



Greater shade is therefore required where strong winds 

 prevail and also where dry weather is experienced at 

 certain periods of the year. In choosing shade trees 

 for such regions it is therefore important not to employ 

 those which shed their foliage at the season when their 

 protection is most required. 



The trees most largely employed are those which belong 

 to the natural order LeouminoSj^, probably because 

 they are considered to be less exhaustive of soil nitrogen 

 as they are enabled to fix atmospheric nitrogen and 

 add it to the soil by the aid of the bacteria associated 

 with the nodules on their roots. 



The Merits and Demerits of different Shade-Trees. — The 

 following are common leguminous trees recommended 

 for permanent shade purposes : 



Erythrina vdutina, E. umbrosa, E. lithosperma, E. 

 indica, E. ovalifolia, Albizzia moluccana, A. stipulata, 

 Pithecolobium Saman and Gliricidia maculata. 



The first two mentioned are largely used in Trinidad 

 and to a less extent in some of the other West Indian 

 islands, Ceylon, and Guam. In Trinidad they are planted 

 at distances varying from 40 to 50 ft. apart. They 



