226 CACAO 



As will be seen from the Trinidad returns the harvests are 

 uneven, and the crop often runs over the statistical year 

 into the following one, so that a certain moiety falls into 

 the preceding and following years. 



Wright's tables on the periodicity of cacao crops are 

 also interesting, and are in accord' with Trinidad observa- 

 tions, and should be consulted by all cacao planters. 



The period of growth of a cacao pod from flower to 

 maturity extends from four and a half to five months, i.e. 



Fig. 67.— Exports of Trinidad Cacao, 1900-1909 



from the opening of the flower to the ripening of the pod, 

 but this period may be extended, owing to the facility 

 with which the mature pods remain in the ripened state 

 upon the trees for some days or even weeks after they 

 have reached full maturity It is not good practice, 

 however, to allow them to remain too long upon the tree 

 or the quality of the produce will suffer considerable 

 deterioration. If they remain much too long, it will be 

 found that the seeds have begun growth in the pods, and 

 instead of marketable material there will be nothing but 

 a mass of matted roots. If they commence to grow and 

 the radicle or first root pierces the " shell " of the seed, 

 it leaves an aperture which allows of the entrance of mould 

 fungi while drying, ^nd thus lowers the value of the sample, 



