CHAPTER X 



BESTJIiTS OF MANTJEIAL EXPERIMENTS EN VARI0T7S 

 COUNTRIES 



Considerable research has been undertaken during 

 recent years by the various Botanical and Agricultural 

 establishments in several cocoa-growing countries with 

 the view to ascertaining the kind of manure best adapted 

 for fertilising cocoa in particular districts. The Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture for the West Indies has been 

 particularly energetic in this respect, and the following 

 details in regard to the cocoa-manuring experiments 

 conducted in the various West Indian islands have been 

 extracted, for the most part, from the publications of 

 this Department. 



Dominica 



The table on page 67 shows the excellent results which 

 have attended the cocoa-manuring experiments con- 

 ducted at the Botanic Station, Dominica. The experi- 

 ments were initiated in the year 1900, but results were not 

 recorded until 1902-3. Five plots were selected for the 

 experiments, comprising a total area of 1 J acres containing 

 cocoa trees ten years of age. 



The manures and the mulch were applied once a year ; 



the former were distributed and slightly stirred into the 



SOU and the latter was simply spread over the ground. 



The weights of manure applied per acre were as follows : 



Plot. 



No. 2. 4 cwt. basic phosphate and 1| cwt. sulphate of 

 potash. 

 ,, 3. 4 cwt. (&ied blood. 



,, 4. 4 cwt. dried blood, 4 cwt. basic phosphate, and 

 li cwt. sulphate of potash. 



66 



