31 



Time of Crop. — The picking goes on during the whole of the year, 

 -the main crop however begins in October and November, and the 

 ^' sweat" boxes were nearly always full from January to March, A 

 smaller crop again takes place in June or July. 



Age of Trees. — The trees on one estate were 32 years old and were 

 in good bearing condition, but there were trees on some of the older 

 estates in the Island, between 90 and 100 years old. It seemed to be 

 generally considered that the trees properly looked after should yield 

 well for 50 or 60 years at least. 



Yield of Trees. — One estate yielded two or three lbs. per tree, and 

 one tree situated near a stable yielded 32 lbs , of Cocoa. A planter 

 showed us a tree from which he had picked 300 pods or 22 lbs., in 

 one year. The present yield on one estate was 14 bags of 185 lbs., per 

 1,000 trees. 



Size of Estates. — These vary, from the negro who had a few trees to 

 the large estate of 100,000 trees. One Estate had 90,000 trees. 

 Another had 70,000 trees, and another estate 60,000 trees One of the 

 largest in the Island, had a yield of 1,500 bags. For the greater 

 proporti on of the Cocoa in Trinidad appears to be grown on large 

 estates. 



Price and Value of Estates.— -One planter considered that an estate 

 would not pay if it did not contain 10,000 trees. 



Another thought at present prices, an unencumbered estate might 

 yield 15o/o net profit, all expenses of management paid, but that lOo/'o 

 was a more likely figure. 



Cost of production of Cocoa. — A planter told us he considered that it 

 did not pay to grow Cocoa that was selling at 45s. per cwt., or at any 

 rate he did not consider it worth while to plant Cocoa at this price. At 

 the present prices a new estate did not begin to pay until 12 to 14 

 years, and then only yielded 8 per cent, interest after paying a mort- 

 gage charge of 8 per cent., which seemed to be the general rate. 

 Another said that Cocoa could be grown at 21s. a cwt., and men- 

 tioned that he had a small estate which was managed by his wife, on 

 which it only cost him four doUars a cwt. Another said it could not 

 be grown under eight dollars a cwt , and that he did it at this price. 

 Labour had been cut down to 25 to 30 cents, instead of 30 to 50 cents 

 a day, which used to be paid. The cost of production of Cocoa depends 

 largely upon the position of the estate, as some estates had to pay as 

 much as a dollar a bag to get the Cocoa down to Port of Spain, being 

 a long way from either road or railway. Planters said they would be 

 quite content if Cocoa rose 5s. a cwt. above the then ruling low prices, 

 (45s.) 



Shipping Cocoa. — All the Cocoa is shipped to Europe or America a a 

 floon as it is dried, as it will not keep in the moist, tropical climate of 

 Trinidad. 



Increase in Production, — This seemed to be going on on all hands, 

 although the drop in prices had slightly checked it. The increase is 

 put down at between 5 and 6 per cent, per annum. A new railway 

 will shortly be completed across the island, which will open up a large, 

 fertile district, where there are several important plantations in process 

 .of formation. 



