Edible '^Products, 



340 



Experiment Stations. 



t April, 1909. 



No. 



Manure. 



Yield in pounds of 

 wet cacao. 



Difference on no 

 no manure. 



Total. 



Per tree. 



Total. 



' Per tree. 



Tuilerios III. 

 Waltham III. 



No manure 



1,253 

 1,759 



6-3 

 8-8 



= 





Tuileries IV. 

 Waltham I. 



Lime 



1,581 

 1,643 



79 

 8-2 



+ 328 

 — 116 



+ 1-6 

 — 0-6 



Tuileries I. 

 Waltham IV. 



Sulphate of ammonia 



1,367 

 2,157 



6-8 

 10-8 



+ 114 



+ .398 



+ 0-5 

 + 2-0 



Tuileries II. 



VV .11 lILllIi v . 



Sulphate of potash 



1,588 

 1,931 



7-9 

 9-6 



+ 335 

 + 172 



+ 1-6 

 + 0-9 



Tuileries. 



Pen manure 



2,423 



12-1 



+ 1170 



+ 5-0 



Waltham 11. 



Basic slag 



1,517 



7-6 



— 242 



— 1-2 



These experiment stations are estab- 

 lished on large estates and consist of 

 less than 5 acres or 1,000 trees. These 

 stations, of which there are at present 

 six, have become very popular, and next 

 year it is hoped to start several others- 



The result of their establishment has 

 been to make the larger proprietors take 

 a lively interest in experiments carried 

 out on their estates, experiments de- 

 signed to answer questions and solve 

 problems connected with their own 

 soils and conditions. 



It is not proposed to discuss these 

 results at length, but merely to dwell 

 on a few salient points. 



The experiments show that nitrogen- 

 ous manures are of the greatest value 

 for cacao in Grenada, and that the use 

 of phosphate without nitrogen is not 

 beneficial. The use of potash without 

 nitrogen, on the other hand, appears to 

 result in increase of yield. 



The cacao soils of Grenada consist of 

 stiff clay strikingly deficient in lime, 

 so that the beneficial results obtained 

 by the application of lime are not sur- 

 pi ising. 



EXPERIMENTS AT ST. LUCIA. 



By J. C Moore, 

 Agricultural Superintendent, St. Lucia. 



Of the experimental work carried out 

 at St. Lucia, that in connection with the 

 improvement of cacao cultivation lias 



been followed by most beneficial results. 

 This is apparent from the growing 

 popularity of up-to-date methods of 

 culture and manuring, the generally 

 improved condition of the trees, and 

 the increased crops on many plantations 

 where treatment has been adopted 

 similar to that which has been found 

 most successful on the experiment 

 plots. This work has been carried out 

 on cacao estates in different parts of the 

 island over a period of five years, 

 entirely at the expense of the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture. These 

 plots were each an acre in extent, were 

 situated on the main roads, and were 

 generally chosen on neglected proper- 

 ties. The objects in view were to 

 demonstrate, if possible, that neglected 

 and unhealthy trees could be restored 

 to health and increased bearing by 

 careful methods of cultivation. It was 

 hoped that these improved conditions 

 would be closely observed by the 

 peasants and others, and would per- 

 suade them to adopt similar measures 

 on their own properties. The Agri- 

 cultural Instructor gave particular 

 attention to this improvement of cacac 

 cultivation, and the periodical reports 

 of this officer show that much useful 

 work has been a ccomplished. 



As reported at the last Conference, it 

 has been found that intensive culture 

 in cacao is very profitable, for it im- 

 proves the vigour and disease-resisting 

 powers of the trees. It has also been 

 shown by these plots that the use of 



