16 



Cacao oe cocoa. 



increase, at whicli time thev should be planted. It is muct pre- 

 ferable, however, to take them from a mu^sery. 



In one range of cacao trees a banana is placed between two 

 cacaos, and an erythrina between the two following. In the other 

 range a banana is placed between each cacao tree, and no erjthrinas, 

 so that the latter are at the distance of two alleys. The banana 

 and the erythrina are first planted, and when a shelter from the 

 sun is thus prorided, the hole for the cacao is made, around which 

 are planted four stalks of the yucca plant, at the distance of two feet 

 from each other. At the end of two months the cacao is planted. 

 The smaller the plant is, the better. There are, nevertheless, soils 

 subject to worms where the small plants do not thrive ; but, ex- 

 cepting in this particular, the small plants are preferable, because 

 the large require more labor for their transportation and plant- 

 ing ; many of them die, and those which survive bud and shoot 

 forth, but are never of any value. 



The cacao plant should not exceed thii^ty-six inches in size when 

 transplanted ; if larger, it succeeds with difficulty, as will be 

 shown. 



The nurseries of cacao demand an excellent soil, well prepared, 

 where the water does not remain. They should be well sheltered 

 from the sun. Small knolls of earth are formed, in each of which 

 are put two seeds of cacao, in such a manner that they are pa- 

 rallel with the level of the ground. During the first twenty days 

 the seeds are covered with two layers of banana or other leaves. 

 If necessary, the ground is watered ; but the water is not suffered 

 to remain. The most suitable time for sowing is in JN^ovember. 



AVhere there is not a facility for watering, the planting of the 

 cacao should take place in the rainy season ; but when the former 

 is practicable, it is best to plant in dry weather and assist nature 

 by irrigation, since it is then in the power of the cultivator to 

 give the exact quantity of moisture necessary. But, in all cases, 

 care should be taken that the plants are not wet in the interval 

 between their being taken out of the ground and replanted. 



When the bananas grow old, they should be carefully felled, 

 lest the cacaos should be injured by their accidental fall. They 

 are totally removed as soon as the erythrina yields sufiicient shade ; 

 tliis operation gives more air to the trees of the plantation, and 

 encourages their growth. 



Until the cacao attains four feet in height, it is trimined 

 to the stem. If it shoots forth several branches, they are reduced 

 to three, at equal distances ; and, in proportion as the plant in- 

 creases, the leaves which appear on the three branches are stripped 

 off. If they bend much, and incline towards the earth, they 

 are tied in bunches, so that the tree may not remain crooked, Tlie 

 branches, which are trimmed, are cut at the distance of two fingers 

 from the tree. The suckers which spring from the tree are also 

 removed, as they only live at its expense. 



Emmies of the tree. — The cacao trees should, as already stated, 

 have suf&cient shade to prevent their being burned by the sun. 



