Edible Products. 



510 



[December, 1909. 



to make sure that the weeds do not 

 overrun the place. In Dutch Guiana the 

 ground about the young cacao is cleared 

 thirteen or fourteen times a year. In 

 Trinidad, where it is drier, six or eight 

 times are considered to be sufficient. 

 When the plants have attained a height 

 of 20 to 25 centimeters, it is well to take 

 out two or three, according to whether 

 three or four seeds have been planted. 

 The strongest plant is left of course, and 

 the others are used for replacing where 

 that is necessary. In some places the 



Jlanters do not proceed in this manner, 

 n Ecuador, for instance, it is the custom 

 to leave two, three, four, and even more 

 plants growing together. In the cacao 

 plantations of Bahia, in Brazil, four 

 plants are usually left. 



The proprietor of large cacao planta- 

 tions in Belmont, Bahia, explained to me 

 that he believes this method is beneficial 

 to the fruiting, because the four trunks 

 tend, in growing, to move away from 

 one another, and incline more and more 

 as they become larger. The flowers 

 which grow on the outer side of the 

 trunks are thus sheltered from the rain, 

 which would appear to make their 

 development into fruit more certain. I 

 give this opinion for what it is woith, 

 but must add that I have seen a great 

 many cacaos growing alone and very 

 erect, whose trunks bear fruit in an 

 entirely satisfactory manner. 



The method of allowing several plants 

 to grow together is out of place in regu- 

 larly laid out plantations, where, I 

 believe, the trees should be as regular 

 as possible in form. However, since this 

 method is employed in regions where 

 cacao culture extends over immense 

 areas, and since I have not had an oppor- 

 tunity to study its advantages or dis- 

 advantages, 1 am not in a position to 

 either condemn or advise it. It is pro- 

 bable, nevertheless, that it is a method 

 that can be successfully applied only 

 where the land is particularly fertile. 



Time for Solving. — The time for sowing 

 is necessarily determined by the times 

 for the principal harvests, which occur 

 in most of the countries twice a year. 

 When the climate is very warm and the 

 country situated near the equator, it is 

 possible usually to plant at the time of 

 one or the other harvest. When, on the 

 contrary, the northern or southern limit 

 of the zone for cacao culture is approach- 

 ed, it seems perferable not to sow until 

 the time of the harvest nearest to the 

 winter season, or, on tho other hand, the 

 harvest nearest the warm season. Ob- 

 servations made at the Ivoloina Station 

 have confirmed this opinion. 



In Madagascar cacao is harvested first 

 in June and July, and again in October 

 and November. It is at this latter time 

 that the planters usually plant the seeds, 

 either at stake or in nurseries. 



In June and July the temperature is 

 too low, and the plants growing from 

 seeds planted at this time develop slowly 

 and are puny. In the event of plant- 

 ing the seeds in November it would 

 seem best to plant bananas in April or 

 May. In Madagascar this time would 

 probably be the best, for in Trinidad the 

 planters prefer to set out the Musa dur- 

 ing the cold season. 



Sowing in the Nursery.— It it is desired 

 to establish a plantation with plants 

 already started, a nursery is evidently 

 needed, but even when started directly 

 from the seed, it is necessary to have a 

 small nursery containing plants for re- 

 placing those which are not healthy, or 

 seeds which have not germinated. 



Choice of the Situation of the Nursery. 

 — If a large plantation is being establish- 

 ed, one nursery will not be sufficient, 

 but several should be located at regular 

 distances over the plantation, to reduce 

 as much as possible the distance that the 

 plants will have to be transported, as 

 well as the expense incuvrfd in thus 

 transporting them. In Trinidad, for 

 example, a nursery is installed for every 

 area of about 10 hectares. 



The site upon which the nursery is to 

 be placed should have as rich soil as pos- 

 sible; and it is equally necessary tbat the 

 soil should be heavy enough to permit 

 easy balling of the roots when the plants 

 are moved, Shelter from the wind is a 

 third indispensable condition. 



In order to procure for the young 

 cacaos the shade they demand, it is not 

 desirable to plant them under the 

 shade of larger trees whose roots usually 

 monopolize the soil to too great an 

 extent. I have seen certain Dutch 

 planters in Surinam sow the cacao seeds 

 even in the midst of the cacaos on a 

 plantation. The plants that resulted 

 were usually so puny and of such slow 

 growth that this would seem to be a 

 serious mistake. 



Preparation of the Soil. —The site 

 having been chosen, it must be ploughed 

 to a depth of 25 or 30 centimeters, work- 

 ing in by this means the amount of 

 manure, ashes and mold that is con- 

 sidered desirable, and the stones and 

 roots that are in the way can be 

 removed. 



After having thus ploughed and 

 levelled the surface, beds are laid out, 

 about 1*2 meters square, separated by 

 paths 50 centimeters wide, so that the 



