THE FAUNA OF THE CACAO FIELD 125 



past three decades, however, wonderful progress has been 

 made all along the line, in fact the tendency now is to 

 follow the teachings of experts without sufficient care to 

 obtain the necessary instruction to make them a success. 

 A planter, informed that phosphatic manures are necessary 

 for cacao, has been known to decide how much to use, 

 upon the principle that two pounds must contain more 

 food than one, and that the more the better, and thus 

 often to apply it to excess, with the result that he is 

 unable to see the expected effect and then promptly 

 condemns the use of such applications. The great want 

 of the cacao interest to-day is skilled labour, i.e. men and 

 boys trained in the primary details of agri-horticultural 

 practice, who know how to fertilise a flower, to bud, to 

 graft, to plant, to sow seed, to prune, to drain, to manure, 

 to harvest crop, and to market it to the best advantage. 

 The latter is probably the point in which they are best 

 trained. 



There is also a great want of united effort to discuss and 

 put on record for the future all problems of cultivation, 

 so that when a question again arises reference can be made 

 to previous work in the same direction. Single efforts are 

 often greatly discouraged by adverse and personal criticism 

 however good the intention may have been. It is, 

 however, satisfactory to find a " rift in the cloud," and 

 it is now becoming patent that the matter is receiving 

 attention in Trinidad and in many other cacao-growing 

 countries. Much excellent work has been done by the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture in the distribution 

 of suitable information, and in organising and teaching 

 methods of modern practice for cultivation of the soil, 

 and in general agricultural education. The colonies of 

 British Guiana, Jamaica, and Trinidad, having their own 

 Departments of Agriculture, have secured no little success 

 in meeting the wants of the agricultural interests there, 

 and it is to be hoped that " bread " thus " cast upon the 

 waters " may be found again " after many days." 



