Edible Products. 



148 



[November, 190S. 



grounds, Forastero is favoured by its 

 greater vitality, stronger growth, greater- 

 productiveness, less demand for shade, 

 easier cultivation (and some say its 

 greater resistance to disease, though 

 this is disputed). The only thing in 

 favour of Criollo is the excellence and 

 superiority of its fruit. 



A planting distance for Criollo of 13 

 feet by 13 feet, or at the farthest of 13 

 by 14* feet, is proper. That gives 250 or 

 220 trees to the acre. Forastero should 

 be planted 16* by 16* feet. On very 

 good soil two trees may be planted in 

 one hole ; it increases the yield con- 

 siderably. This holds good for both 

 Criollo and Forastero. 



All the planters in Samoa appear so 

 far to be tolerably well satisfied with 

 cacao returns, but, like everything else 



the crop requires careful attention in 

 order to give the best returns. Large 

 plantations, if well managed, and not 

 cripped by want of labour, ought certain- 

 ly to do well and return good dividends. 

 The same thing applies to those small 

 plantations from 20 acres upwards where 

 the owner lives and personally directs 

 them, but when the estate is too small 

 to afford the payment of a proper 

 manager, and the owner himself, having 

 more important things to attend to else- 

 where, cannot live on the land, failure 

 is sure to follow. Cacao cultivation 

 requires perhaps more personal attention 

 by the planter or manager than any 

 other tropical product, not merely to 

 bring the trees to maturity, but to look 

 after them and crop them when they 

 can bear fruit.— Agricultural News, Vol. 

 VII., No. 167. 



