Edible Products. 



1 14 



[February, 1009. 



received good dressings of pen manure 

 and dried blood in the first two years 

 of its existence. 



The dried blood plot, as explained 

 above, is rather uneven, but there are 

 some good trees upon it. 



These four plots have been carefully 

 worked on the system which involves the 

 careful use of weeds as green dressings. 

 The growth of the weeds has been 

 watched, and as soon as they reached a 

 moderate size they are cut down and 

 either spread as a 'mulch or forked in. 

 (See 'Manurial Value of Weeds in Cacao 

 and Lime Orchards,' West Indian 

 Bulletin, Vol. V., p. 287). 



The results obtained on these plots, 

 and the excellent condition of the soil, 

 would appear to show that while pen 

 manure when available is most valu- 

 able in cacao orchards, still the condi- 

 tion of the soil can be maintained and 

 improved by judicious green dressing 

 with weeds. The experiments should 

 be continued for some years, for it 

 will be interesting to see if the ferti- 

 lity of plots B. and C, receiving part 

 of manures with ammonia and phos- 

 phate respectively, will be maintained 

 without any other application. 

 Larger Manurial Experiments 



AT PlCARD. 



The experiments conducted in co-oper- 

 ation with Mr. Sowray, the representa- 

 tive of Messrs. Rowutree & Co., have 

 given interesting results. These consist 



of twelve plots. Each plot, which is J 

 acre in extent, contains sixty-four trees 

 and is separated from its neighbour 

 by two rows of cacao trees. Plots 3 and 

 6 are separated from 7 and 10 by 

 three rows. 



Measured by the number of pods pro- 

 duced, the results show in an unmistak- 

 able manner that manures are beneficial 

 and remunerative in the establishment of 

 young cacao. Judged on this basis, it is 

 seen that pen manure has given the best 

 results, the yield of pods of this season 

 from this plot being two and a half 

 times that of the plot without manure. 



Dried blood has resulted in large 

 returns and so has bone meal. 



Each of the constituents of manures 

 (phosphate, potash, and nitrogen v (as 

 ammonia) has increased the number of 

 pods in a marked degree, and this has 

 been the case whether these constituents 

 have been used singly or grouped in 

 various ways. 



Plot 3, receiving potash only, has given 

 an abnormally high yield and must be 

 disregarded for the moment, 



Plot 2 shows a considerable increase of 

 crop as the result of the use of basic 

 phosphate ; plot 6 shows that the crop is 

 only slightly increased by the addition 

 of potash, while plot 4 shows that the 

 addition of ammonia considerably in- 

 creases the yield. 



For easy comparison the results may 

 be arranged as follows :— 



Plot. 



Manure. 



Number of 

 pods per 

 plot. 



Gain over 

 no-manure 

 plots in pods. 



Yield in 

 terms of dry 

 cacao per 

 acre in 

 pounds. 



Plot 12 



No manure 



740 





228 



9 



Compost ... 



704 



36 



218 



1 



Bone meal 



1,742 



1,002 



530 



2 



Basic phosphate 



1,179 



439 



362 



4 



Basic phosphate and ammonia 



1,596 



856 



490 







Basic phosphate and potash . 



1,184 



444 



264 



3 



Potash 



1,727 



987 



562 



5 



Potash and ammonia 



1,619 



879 



'498 



10 



Ammonia 



1,160 



420 



356 



11 



Basic phospate, potash and 









ammonia 



1,488 



748 



438 



8 



Dried blood 



4,644 



904 



506 



7 



Pen manure 



1,871 



1,131 



576 



The above conclusions are confirmed by the comparison of plots 40, 11, 

 and 12. The addition of ammonia to plot 10 has greatly increased the shield as 

 compared with plot 12 receiving no manure, while plot 11, receiving phosphate 

 and potash in addition to nitrogen, shows a still further increased yield, due 

 most probably to the phosphate. Further confirmation is obtained from plot 1, 

 which received bone meal. Bone meal contains both phosphate and nitrogen. This 



