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Cocoa trees. He grows plantains and ground proyisions between the 

 young Cocoa trees for his own use or for sale. 



At the end of five years he hands the land back again to the owner, 

 who gives him 80 cents or $1 per tree, according to the arrangement 

 made. 



A single contractor generally planted 1,000 trees. 



Some plan'ers supply the contractor with seeds but generally they 

 are left to provide their own 



When we were in Ti inidad, the planters said it did not pay to take 

 the trees over so soon, and some left th-em with the contractor a year or 

 two longer. 



The advantages of the system are its cheapness, but the disadvan- 

 tages are that unless the contractor is supplied with seed and well looked 

 af ler, he will put in a common and hardier variety of plant, as it is easier 

 to grow. 



Arrangements of an Es atp. — The Cocoa trees are planted in lines, 

 iome 12 feet apart, whilst every 36-40 feet the Bois Immortelles 

 are planted. In the hilly districts where the Cocoa trees are planted 

 on the steep hillsides they are placed closer together and fewer shade 

 trees are employed. This method of planting seemed generally em- 

 ployed throughout the Island, though of course some estates were better 

 lined out than others. 



One planter thought a better yield might be obtained per tree by 

 planting the trees further apart. 



The Bois Immortelles were used in nearly all cases as shade, though 

 in some places the sand box tree was used instead. 



The timber of the Immortelle is valueless, but it has always been 

 found to be the most successful shade tree by the planters. 



The manager's or owner's house is generally situated in the centre of 

 the estate and is surrounded by the sweat boxes and drying sheds. 



Kind of soil, adapted for the Cocoa estate is a light, loamy one ; 

 sandy soil gives a better quality Cocoa than heavy ones. It is essential 

 that the soil six uld be of some depth. 



All the planters in Trinidad said it was not worth while planting old 

 sugar estates, as the soil had been exhausted by the sugar, and as there 

 was plenty of virgin soil to be obtained, it was better to clear fresh land 

 than plant that partly exhausted. 



Work on an Estate. — This consists, after it has been handed over by 

 the contractor, in the cartful weeding of the ground, the pruning of 

 the trees, the gathering, breaking, fermenting and drying the Cocoa. 

 There is work on an estate all the year round, as the men are employed 

 in pruning and weeding when the picking is over. 



Thus a small body of men are constantly employed, and there is no 

 necessity for a large amount of labour at one time, and neither is a 

 yery large amount of labour required as on a sugar estate. 



Gathering Cocoa. — This is done by the men who cut off the Cocoa pods 

 within easy reach by means of a machette: those higher up tbey remove 

 by means of the Cocoa hooks which are mounted on long bamboo poles. 

 The Cocoa hook is sharpened at the tip and on the under side of the 

 hook, so that the Cocoa can be gathered by means of a thrust or a pull. 



