220 CACAO 



of vapour takes place. This was especially noticeable in 

 Trinidad a few years since, when, although the rainfall was 

 above the average, the river supply was scanty. This was 

 apparently owing to the fact that the greater part of the 

 falls took place in early daylight hours, succeeded by full 

 power sun for several hours later. When the precipitation 

 takes place in night hours and falls steadily, very little 

 or no evaporation takes place, and the water finds its way 

 into the ground, to be retained some way below the surface, 

 and in the end finds its way underground to the rivers. 

 Hence it is seen that at times when heavy showers fall 

 with an intermission of bright sunny hours, they cannot 

 be counted upon by the cultivator to supply the full 

 complement of moisture required, although the actual 

 amount, had it fallen in suitable time 6f the day, would 

 have been ample. Planters can, therefore, suffer from 

 drought even when a normal rainfall is registered. Rainfall 

 during the crop seasons is at times a terror to the planter, 

 especially when he has a large amount of cacao upon his 

 floors, dependent upon the sun for drying. Happily, long- 

 continued rain-storms are more the exception than the 

 rule ; and intermittent showers with sun between allow of 

 curing work being carried on, although not so successfully 

 as in continuously dry weather. Continuously dry and wet 

 weather are both bad for the field, as hindering work, and 

 also for their effect upon the trees. Cacao-trees may flower 

 and their fruit will " set " in either dry or wet weather, 

 and a large number of fruit will blacken and drop. What 

 is exactly the cause of their dropping has not yet been fully 

 determined, and it has been suggested that microscopic 

 fungi play no small part in the matter, but the evidence 

 at present in favour of this view is by no means conclusive, 

 although there remains no doubt that parasitic fungi are 

 dangerous enemies. Meanwhile the fact remains that loss 

 of crop occurs in both wet and dry weather, and this would 

 point to different classes of parasitic fungi existing, the 

 one killing in the wet, and the other in the dry. The 

 solution will possibly be found " some day," a day not yet 



