YIELDS IN THE GOLD COAST 



163 



Cocoa trees in Grenada are reported to yield an average 

 of 784 lb. per acre. 



During the years 1905-6 the average yield of cocoa 

 per acre in St. Lucia was estimated at 300 lb. 



It is considered that a highly cultivated estate in 

 Tobago, in full bearing, should yield at the rate of 825 lb. 

 per acre. 



Samoa. — Old cocoa plantations in this country yield 

 at the rate of 450 lb. per acre. Vice-Consul Frood men- 

 tions one plantation of four-year-old trees which yielded 

 750 lb. per acre. Well-cared-for estates have produced 

 as much as 10 cwt. of cured cocoa per acre. 



West Africa. — The yields of cocoa harvested from 

 trees planted at 15 ft. apart in the Botanic Gardens, 

 Aburi, Gold Coast, are as follows : 



In native-owned cocoa plantations the yield varies 

 from 2 to 5 lb. per tree. 



The total area of native-owned cocoa plantations in 

 the Gold Coast was estimated in 1908 at 70,000 acres. 

 During that year 28,545,910 lb. of cocoa were exported, 

 which indicates that the average yield per acre was 408 lb. 



Dodd informs the writer that cocoa trees commence 

 to bear fruit in Southern Nigeria when they are three 

 or four years of age, and yield about ^ lb. of cured cocoa 

 per tree. This increases yearly, and at six years of age 

 a tree may produce from 2 to 4 lb. In good soil an 

 average yield of 5 lb. per tree is obtained. 



In the Kamerun the average yield was estimated, in 

 1904, at 2-2 lb. per tree. 



San Thome. — Well-managed cocoa estates in San Thom6 

 yield at the rate of 1,200 kUos. per hectare (1,068 lb. per 



