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3. All dead cacao trees, old primings and dead branches, should not 

 l>e allowed to remain under the cacao trees, but should be periodically 

 collected and burnt as is done on the best Grenada estates. Dead trees 

 should be cut down level with the ground and old stumps should never 

 be left as these are often covered with fungus spores. The ashes should 

 be spread under the cacao trees as they are rich in potash and serve 

 as a useful manure. 



4. All wounds made in pruning should be tarred over when mad © 

 so as to prevent the infection of the tree by means of fungus spores- 

 As far as practicable, the cuts should slope in such a way that rain 

 water runs off easily and the surface dries quickly. Tarring will only 

 be satisfactory if the pruning is done at a time when the sap is not 

 rising as in the dry season and if the least possible quantity of tar is 

 used. If too much tar is applied, the excess runs down the stem pro- 

 ducing an unsightly smear which in addition is harmful to the tree. 

 There are several other obvious advantages to the cacao tree in tarring 



. the cuts besides the prevention of fungoid diseases. Local wood-rot is 

 prevented and the tree covers the wound with the least expenditure of 

 material by growing new bark all round and also boring insects, like 

 the cacao beetle, are prevented from laying their eggs on the freshly 

 cut surfaces. Neglect oS this precaution in the past is obvious in many 

 of the small holdings in Grenada where so great has been the damage 

 by insects and fungi that the trees have never been able to cover their 

 wounds by fresh growth and their efforts in this direction have so told 

 upon their vitality that their bearing powers have been very considera- 

 bly reduced. On the other hand on several of the larger estates when 

 "tarring" has been adopted for some time and where very extensive 

 pruning has been dene, the trees are bearing well and appear remark- 

 ably healthy. 



5. In cases where trees are being killed by this fungus they may be 

 often rejuvenated by replacing them by a sucker. I noticed vigorous 

 suckers growing from the base of several trees about five or six years 

 old attacked by this disease and it seems reasonable to suggest that a 

 root sucker should always be allowed to grow from the base of all 

 sickly looking trees and from those which have been badly attacked 

 by beetle grubs. When the suckers are a few feet high, the parent 

 tree could be removed and the sucker allowed to take its place. In 

 this way, a diseased tree could be replaced much more quickly and 

 satisfactorily than if a fresh tree were planted. 



6. In removing the grubs of the cacao beetle, care should be taken 

 to injure the bark as little as possible. If the wounds made are con- 

 siderable they should be tarred. 



I feel sure that if these simple measures are made a part of the 

 routine of the Grenada cacao estates, not only will this fungus be kept 

 well in hand, but the production of cacao will be materially increased. 

 Although it would be best if the plantei s were to adopt these measures 

 universally, nevertheless, from the configuration of the island and the 

 nature of the cacao crop and of this disease, each planter is to a large 

 extent indepc ndent of his neighbour. It not infrequently happens 

 that when a course of action produces obviously good results there is 

 no lack of imitators. 



