THE LAND AVAILABLE 235 



trees, taking the crop of the year from beginning to end. 

 II the planter therefore can find out what it will cost him 

 to provide this area he can easily estimate for larger 

 surfaces, the cost of building largely depending upon the 

 district in which the plantation is situated. 



Next to the drying house a good storeroom and office 

 should be provided and a proper range of labourers' barracks 

 may be required where labour has to be brought from a 

 distance. 



It will be found much better to attach labour to an 

 estate by the allowance of house room, provision ground 

 or other privilege, than to employ casual labour as it 

 presents itself, as there is much more interest taken in the 

 work when the labourer in a measure " belongs to the 

 estate," and looks upon it as his home. Such dwellings 

 should stand on a well-drained site, convenient, but not 

 too near, to headquarters of manager or owner. 



Skilled labour is highly requisite on a cacao estate, i.e. 

 the labourer must be accustomed to the work, and the 

 higher the class of labourer employed the better will the 

 estate be worked. Such labour is, however, not always 

 obtainable, but it is certainly the best when it can be had. 

 We are not here speaking of the manager, foreman, or 

 ganger, but of the field hands for the purpose of carrying 

 on the general work of the plantation. With managers 

 and foremen generally, it is evidently to the interest of 

 the proprietor to employ only those who take an intelligent 

 interest in the work they have to carry out, and who take 

 pride in preparing a quality of produce which shall always 

 bear the highest stamp. With such men careful experi- 

 ments may be carried on which will lead to improvement 

 and economy when compared with the methods now in use. 



The cost of labour is an item always inquired about by 

 a newcomer, and at times not easily answered, but he will 

 understand that this must vary with the district, and only 

 a general idea can be given in a work of this kind. Wages 

 on a cacao estate vary, according to the work performed 

 by the labourer, from 25 cents to 60 cents per day. Much 



