138 CACAO 



strain stands in danger of being lost, unless preserved by 

 vegetative reproduction ; a fact the tropical planter would 

 do well to bear in mind. 



Mention was made in the previous pages of Mr. Agostini's 

 patent cacao picker, by the use of which danger arising 

 from the use of older forms of pickers is minimised. 

 The Agostini picker or " golette " is depicted in 

 Fig. 40 at a a, which show it in use and how it pre- 

 vents damage to the tree ; b in the same Figure demon- 

 strates how the ordinary picker can seriously wound a tree. 

 Fig. 41, which faces this page, shows the " cushions " of 

 the cacao-tree from which the flowers and fruit spring. 

 It is essential to preserve these " cushions " uninjured 

 when picking the fruit. These two illustrations are from 

 photographs by Mr. J. L. Agostini. 



