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way into the soil of the yam hill. But if it is decided not to plant 

 more yams, put the young plants into a circle between the yam hills 

 prepared in the same way as described for planting between bananas. 

 When planting Cocoa through land covered with the miscellaneous crops 

 so often seen, and which are simply kept clean with the hoe, the plants 

 should always have a place forked up for them as already described. 



Never put Cocoa plants between sugar canes or sweet potatoes ; the 

 canes form too thick a shade, and the roots bind the land so much that 

 the roots of the Cocoa plants cannot penetrate it. Sweet potatoes cluster 

 round the young Cocoa plants so much that they might as well be grow- 

 ing under bush. 



Distance apart. — If it is desired to cover a piece of land with Cocoa 

 trees, they should be planted from sixteen to twenty feet apart, accord- 

 ing to the quality of the land. It is better, however, to plant a little 

 too far apart, than too closely. 



Never plant Cocoa near Coco-nuts ; nor within twenty feet of strong 

 growing trees such as mangoes. 



If Mangoes, Breadfruit, Star-apples, etc., are growing near the Cocoa, 

 take care that all the lower boughs of such trees are cut off ; the trees then 

 do not harm the Cocoa but help it by keeping off the sun and wind, with- 

 out keeping away such air and light as is necessary for the Cocoa plant. 



Pruning Cocoa. — The trees always bear the finest pods on their 

 trunks, or the large main branches ; pods borne on the smaller branches 

 are always inferior in size and quality. 



There is no tree which so well repays careful pruning as Cocoa. When 

 the young plants have attained a height of from two to four feet they 

 will naturally form a sort of crown from which they send out several 

 branches, usually four or five ; these branches should be thinned out 

 leaving only three to grow, always leaving the three which balance the 

 best. These three are to be allowed to grow to their full length, but the 

 side shoots should be removed to within about two feet of the centre of 

 the tree ; then the side shoots should be regulated so that they grow 

 about eighteen inches apart, as it must be remembered that these are to 

 form the large main branches on which the tree bears many of its pods. 

 If these are allowed to become crowded they will grow weak and spindly 

 and the tree will not produce good crops. 



If the young trees do not commence to branch by the time they are 

 four feet high, the shade has been too thick, and they mu t be given 

 more light. Be careful never to allow any young shoots to grow on 

 the main stems. Young shoots appear all over them, growing straight 

 up ; these must be cut off close to the main stem before they are three 

 inches long or they will weaken the tree and prevent it bearing. 



Cutting off the pods. — The flowers and pods of the Cocoa tree are 

 borne every year from the same eye ; if the eyes are injured in any way 

 it prevents the tree from ever bearing from them again ; and as the 

 trees do not form new eyes on the old wood that part of the tree is 

 spoiled. Always cut the stalk of the pod half way between the end of 

 the pod and the eye. Never remove the pods by screwing them round 

 or pulling them down. If they are screwed round, the eye is often re- 

 moved with the pod, and if pulled off, the bark is slit down the stem x 

 long pieces often clinging to the pods. In either case the eye is de- 

 stroyed, and permanent injury is done to the tree. 



