280 CACAO 



(2) The abandonment of propagation by seed, on account 

 of the excessive variation that occurs under any method 

 of seminal or seed selection, i.e. the trees cannot be made 

 to come true from seed. 



(3) Better systems of cultivation and preparation. 



It is not indicated that a yield of 15 lb. per tree will be 

 obtained generally on estates, but that an increase of 

 100 or 150 per cent, may be obtained over the best yields 

 of to-day if the proper methods are followed. The writer 

 is fully satisfied of the possibilities for improvement shown 

 by actual statistics of ascertained yield, which, in his view, 

 justify the hope that under improved cultivation the jrield 

 of the cacao-tree may be increased to an extent hitherto 

 deemed quite impossible. 



It appears clear that if there are trees showing the same 

 yields as found on the Brown estate, of which there is no 

 doubt, it is merely a question of obtaining numbers of them 

 in order to increase the yield to an extent which would 

 double or treble the income of estates, after allowing for 

 bad spots in lands, diseases, and all other factors which 

 tend to reduce crops. 



Calculations of the value of a crop can be easily made 

 by readers taking Trinidad prices on the basis of a table 

 recently furnished by .Messrs. G. R. Alston and Co. to the 

 Local Department of Agriculture : 



Teinidad Local Prices for Cacao 



Per faneaa of 110 lb. and 

 Dollar at 45. 2d. 



1892 $1300 to $13-50 



1893 1400 „ 14-50 



1894 12-75 „ 11-75 



1895 11-75 „ 10-00 



1896 1000 „ 9-00 



1897 9-00 „ 16-00 



1898 16-00 ,; 14-50 



1899 14-50 „ 15-25 



1900 16-00 „ 14-00 



1901 14-00 „ 13-50 



1902 13-50 „ 1200 



1903 12-00 „ 13-00 



1904 1300 „ 11-75 



1905 11-76 „ 1100 



