PRUNING CACAO 73 



In this a stump has been left without dressing. Water 

 and, fungi have effected an entrance, and the result is that 

 the wood has rotted away, causing a hollow which will 

 eventually cause the death of the whole tree. In Fig. 19 

 the cut has been made " close in," as the branch should be 

 removed, and growth has commenced and will finally grow 

 and cover the wound, completely excluding the outside 



Fio. 18. — An undiessed stump. Fio. 19. — A properly treated cut. 



air. A cut should always be covered with dressing, and 

 the air excluded until it is completely healed over. 



Fig. 20 shows a slab of wood where a similar branch 

 has been cut, and where the cut end is not only healed 

 over, but the wound has been completely covered and 

 concealed with a large amount of wood, without the least 

 decay being apparent. Wounds on a cacao-tree may be 

 healed quite as effectually if correctly treated. The slab 

 of wood from which Fig. 20 is sketched is in the possessjon 

 of the author. 



In the West Indies it is evident that hundreds and 

 thousands of trees have been destroyed owing to careless 



