36 



one below the other, which pull out on either side of the drying floor, 

 thus one roof is able to protect nearly three times the drying area that 

 a similar roof will do in Trinidad. It appeared to be a more economical 

 and a better thought out system than that in use in Trinidad: 



The Boucan is often placed near a little village on the coast from 

 whence the Cocoa is shipped, thus being able to serve two or three 

 estates. The Boucan at Gouava dried the Cocoa from three estates. 

 Best Grenada Cocoa, is " danced" just before shipping. On one estate, 

 we were informed, they used an artificial dryer. On another estate the 

 manager had recently constructed one, on the principle of one they had 

 in Ceylon.^ The principle upon which it worked consisted in drawing 

 hot air from a stove, over the Cocoa, which was spread out in trays in a 

 small wooden house. He used a small Blackman Fan. He said this 

 had been very successful, and had saved him a considerable quantity 

 of Cocoa, and many of his neighbours had wanted to dry their Cocoa 

 in his dryer. When dried in the air, it took three or four days, de- 

 pending, of course, on the weather. 



Picking and Sorting. — We did not see any evidence of this being 

 carried out in Grenxda. 



Manuring. — There appeared to be no manure applied other than the 

 small amount of stable manure that the estate happened to possess. 

 One planter, however, collected as much as he could from the town of 

 St. George's, his estate being a little way off, and he obtained his very 

 high yield of Cocoa from the high manuring which he practised. 



Pruning. — It was said this should be done every three or four years. 

 lime of Crop. — This is the same as in Trinidad. 



Yield of Trees. — One planter said that he obtained five bags per acre 

 of 5U0 trees. Another considered that an average yield would be four 

 or five bags per acre. 



Another said that four bags per acre was an average yield ; although 

 this might be increased by manuring, the truth of which was illustrated 

 by the fact, that one owner obtained eight bags per acre on his small 

 estate. 



Value of Estates. — A planter said, at the price then current, an un- 

 encumbered estate paid, in Grenada, but it did not pay to plant a new 

 esttite. He put the cost of Cocoa in Grenada without reckoning in- 

 terest and managing expenses at 20s. to 25s. per bag of 125 lbs. Be 

 said, an estate purchased at £40 or £50 per acre ought to pay a clear 

 15 per cent. Another said it still pays to plant Cocoa in the valleys, and 

 an estate ought to yield 10 to 15 per cent, after the managing expenses 

 had been paid. 



Increase of production of Cocoa in Grenada. Estates are still being 

 added to, by fun her planting, but no new ones are being formed. Ac- 

 cording to one planter, the Island was capable of doubling its produc- 

 tion of Cocoa. Another said that the increase in the next few years 

 might be 1,000 bags a year. This was not as great as it might be, ow- 

 ing to the fact that some of the hill cultivation was being allowed to 

 detei lorate, as ihis did not pay. 



* For description of this drying house, see Bulleiirif Old Series, Nos. 41 and 4 8. 



