SHADING CACAO 45 



numerous plants of Solanum stramonijolium Jacq. {Acan- 

 thophora Don), producing flowers and seed in plenty. 

 Under the shade they flourish ; in the open pasture they 

 never become anything but stunted and abortive, and 

 finally die out. 



It is perhaps unprofitable to discuss the matter with 

 those having preconceived ideas either way ; but in a work 

 on cacao it is necessary in order to inform the novice 

 of the conclusions arrived at by the experienced. On 

 entering a new country the stranger meets with many new 

 problems, situations, propositions, and troubles, with 

 which he has never before contended, and in general he 

 will find it sound advice to " stick to the bridge which 

 carries you safely over " — the bridge in this instance being 

 well-arranged and well-tried " shade," and not an untried 

 plank which may fail to support its burden in the time 

 of trial. 



The island of Trinidad, which is situated immediately 

 north of the tenth parallel of N. latitude, with a climate 

 strictly tropical, but tempered by the prevailing north-east 

 trade winds during the greater part of the year, produces 

 cacao of a very fine class. Here the prevailing practice 

 is to give the trees permanent umbrageous shade at regular 

 intervals throughout the fields, using for the greater part 

 trees of Erythrina umbrosa and Erythrina velutina, the 

 first known as the " Anauca " or hill shade, and the second 

 " Bocare," or shade of the plains, and both known as 

 " mortel " {see De Verteuil, p. 245) or " immortelle," the 

 former being the older name, and the latter a more recent 

 and very unsuitable one, as there is nothing whatever of an 

 immortal character about the tree, but rather the reverse. 

 The " Anauca " is used on the hills, because it affords 

 lighter shade, and the " Bocar6 " on the plains as it affords 

 a denser covering. 



It is necessary for the planter to decide by observation, 

 the actual amount of shade required by his estate, for it 

 is clear that where the land is hilly much of it is shaded 

 morning and evening by the hills themselves, as in Grenada, 



