228 CACAO 



return than if left entirely to the natural resources of the 

 soil and its natural increment of plant food. 



Yield clearly depends, first, upon the kind of tree 

 cultivated; secondly, upon the richness of the soil or 

 the natural amount of plant food available ; thirdly, upon 

 the artificial supply which may be applied ; and last, but 

 by no means least, upon the amount of skill which is 

 brought to bear by the cultivator in maintaining conditions 

 suitable for the production of large crops. 



Taking the crops of to-day in Trinidad we have : 



5 bags (a scant crop) = 825 lb. per 1000 = 0-82 lb. per tree. 

 10 „ (average crop) = 1650 „ „ = 1'65 „ „ 

 15 „ (good crop) = 2475 „ „ = 2-47 „ 

 *20 „ (superior crop) = 3300 „ „ = 3 30 „ 



For comparison 1000 trees at 15 lb. per tree shows 

 15,000 lb., and in that report we find a sure margin for 

 improved production. 



It may be said that such views are optimistic, and 

 plenty of pessimists will be found to cry non possumus ! 

 it is not possible ! But so said our forefathers of the steam 

 engine and the flying machine — yet they appeared ; 

 but that we are in advance with evidence on our own 

 point as to the possibility of increasing a crop has been 

 shown by the actual yield of trees. There ought, therefore, 

 to be full confidence that if the question is taken up and 

 carried on on the proper lines, enormous and hitherto 

 unheard of returns will be secured. 



There are diverse opinions as to methods to be adopted 

 for securing this result, among which are (l)the abolition 

 of the use of shade ; (2) the adoption of seminal selection ; 

 both of which have been recently advocated (1910) in 

 Trinidad. These points and others, more advanced, have 

 been fully discussed in preceding pages, but our suggestions 

 may be again stated briefly : 



(1) The selection and standardisation of certain types 



of cacao, and the propagation of these by budding or 



grafting, as in fruit orchards. 



* One hears, but one awaits further evidence regarding, reports of twenty, 

 five and thirty bags. 



