35 



Grenada. 



General Remarks on ^ ^ Cultivation — The Island of Grenada 

 used to have a large export of sugar, this has, however, been entirely 

 given up and the old sugar lands have been largely planted with Cocoa. 

 The Coco H has also replaced the original forests on many of the hill- 

 aides of Grenada. 



The Island is very hilly throughout, the mountains rising direct from 

 the sea. Communication is difficult as the roads have not been kept 

 up, and there are only bridle paths across the Island. 



Yarietie* of Cocoa grown. — The trees are probably a cross between 

 Calabacillo and Forastero, although the Forastero is largely predomi- 

 nating 



The value of the Cocoa. — Our planter considered that this depended 

 entirely on the sweating. Another said that the difference between 

 Grenada and Trinidad Cocoa depended upon the soil and the kind of 

 Cocoa used. 



Formation of an Estate. — The Estates in Grenada, as in Trinidad, 

 have been formed mainly by contractors. At the current price of 

 Grenada Cocoa we were told that a new Estate ought to pay in five or 

 six years after planting. 



Ar< angement of an Estate. — The trees are planted as in Trinidad 

 some ten or twelve feet apart, except that no shade trees are used. 



This is due to the hilly nature of the country, as the Cocoa trees are 

 planted on the shady side of the valleys. The Cocoa trees, however, do 

 not look so well as they do in Trinidad, the tips of the leaves are often 

 shrivelled and brown with the sun. The trees are planted slightly 

 closer together than in Trinidad, and are not so tall. The general impres- 

 sion left upon us was, that the cultivation was not so good as in Trinidad. 



Kind of Soil. — A great many of the plantations in Grenada ar© 

 upon old, abandoned sugar estates, owing to the fact of all the land being 

 under cu tivation. The Cocoa m the valleys gives a better return than 

 that upon the hill-sides. 



Work on an Estate. — Yery much the same as in Trinidad, except, as 

 stated above not so much care is taken over the cultivation. W^e were 

 told that no weeding was required. Labour employed is nearly all 

 negro, as there are very few coolies in Grenada, they have not had any 

 immigrants for some time past. 



xxathering Cocoa and breaking Cocoa, — These operations are done in 

 the same manner as in Trinidad. 



Sweat Boxes, — These are the same as in Trinidad, only, they are not 

 so well made. Those on one estate were inside an old sugar-boiling 

 house, about 5 feet square each. There was a row of them, arranged 

 along the wall side. 



Fermentation. — The best Cocoa in Genada is fermented from seven to 

 nine days, (the common Cocoa only three days) and turned over several 

 times during the process. 



Drying Cocoa. — The Boucans, as the drying sheds are called in 

 Grenada, are somewhat differently arranged to those in Trinidad, inas- 

 much as they have a set of drawers that run in on iron rails, underneath 

 .ttie drying shed itself. There are generally two sets of these drawers. 



