Sept. 1, 1900,] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 15.5 
all sorts of couditions of cropping and cultivation, 
but to refer to land of medium quality, well worked, 
in good coudidon, and preferably under a systematic 
rotation of crops. In the matter of manuring it is 
impossible to lay down any hard-and-fast rules, as, 
though we know that a certain crop will take so 
many pounds of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, 'ind potash 
out of the soil, the mere fact of our adding this 
quantity of plant food to the soil will not be sufhcient 
to secure such crop. The state of the land, heat, 
moisture, aQd many other factors have to be taken 
into consideration; but, at the same time, the 
kaowledae of the essential plant foods required by 
individual crops, and the practical application ot 
this knowledge, combined with sound common sense 
and judgment, will be found to be of great ^yalue. 
In the case of the application of commercial fertilisers, 
the agriculturist will learn as much, if not more, 
by careful observation of the habits of growth ot 
various plants, and of the action of the various 
manures on same in his particular soil, and under 
the particular conditions of climate in which he is 
working, than he will from all the chemist can tell 
him of the analysis of his soil or of the plant foods 
extracted from it by various crops. The best resuUs 
are obtained by a judicious combination of both the 
scientific knowled-e of the chemist and the partical 
observation and knowledge of the agriculturist. 
Composition of Mixed Fertilisers.— la estimating the 
value of commercial fertilisers I have taken the 
standard adopted by the New South Wales Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, viz:— _ 
53. 4d. per unit for water soluble phosphoric acid. 
4s! 6d. per unit for citrate soluble phosphoric aciJ. 
2s. per unit for insoluble phosphoric acid. 
5s'. 4d. per unit for potash. 
lOs. per unit for nitrogen in blood, nipho, oftal, &o. 
93 'ed. per unit for sulphate cf ammonia. _ _ 
In the different mixtures recommended the indivi- 
dual fertilisers are assumed to be of the followi'jg 
composition, a high standard having been chosen: — 
Sulphate of ammonia, containing 20^ per cent, of 
nitrogen, worth i;iO per ton. 
Nipho, containigg 12 per cent, of nitrogen, worth 
£6 per ton. . , , 
Dried blood, containing 12^ per cent, of nitrogen, 
worth £6 .53. per ton. . . . £ , 
Superphosphate, containing 17 per cent, of water 
soluble phosphoric acid, worth £4 Ss. per ton. 
Bone ph jsphate, containing 27^ per cent, of insolubU 
phosphoric acid, worth £2 15s. per ton. 
Meatworks manure, containing Hi per cent, of 
nitrogen and 14 per cent, of insoluble phosp'.jorio 
acid, worth £4 ISs. per ton. 
Sulphate ot potash, containing 50 per cent, ot 
potash, worth £13 lOs. per ton. _ 
Buyers should always insist on knowing the analysis 
of any ferciliser that they purchase, and not only 
that, but they should insist on the seller giving them 
a guarantee that the fertiliser as sold is up to such 
analysis. Given this, it is an easy matter to compare 
the value of any particular fertiliser with those 
given above. 
For Citrus Trees. 
Citrus fruits remove a considerable amount of 
plant food from the soil, as will be seen by referring 
to the table at the end. They require large quantities 
of nitrogen and potash, but only a comparatively 
small proportion of phosphoric acid. It is not advis- 
able to give the trees too soluble a manure, or to 
apply it in too large quantities, but the fertilisers 
should contain plant food in both a soluble and 
slowly available form. The following proportions 
will be found to suit many orchards:— 
Cvvt. 
Meatworks manure, blood, and bones . . 10 
Superphosphate .. .. ... 4 
Sulphate of potash .. .. ... 4 
Sulphate of ammonia ■•• •■ ..2 
20 
This fertiliser will contain about 5^ per cent, of 
nitrogen, 10 per cent, of potash, 10? per cent, of 
phosphoric acid, ot which 3f per cent, is water 
soluble, and be worth £7 per ton. Mauuriog is seldom 
required in young citrus orchards in this colony, 
provided they are planted in suitable soil ; but it 
the land is poor, then from 4 to 6 lb. per trees up 
to five years of age, applied in two lots, will be 
sufficient, but for trees in bearing the amount should 
range from 10 to 20 lb. per tree according to size, 
applied in two lots. In making the above manure, 
blood or nipho maj' be substituted for the sulphate 
of ammonia, but it will bs apt to render the fruit 
more acid aad somewhat thicken the skin. The 
best way to apply this manure is to broadcast it 
round the tree and to either chip, harrow, or cultivate 
it in ; spread the manure round the feeding roots 
of the trees, not right round the stem. Apply in 
July or August, and again in January. Experience 
may prove that in the case of rich scrub soil of 
volcanic or some soils of granitic origin it is not 
necessary to use so much potash, in which case it 
may be reduced, and the nitrogen and phosphoric 
acid increased. 
Ill the case of sandy soils it may also be advisable 
to increase the proportion of potash, but this can 
only be determined by the orchardist carefully noting 
the result ol the manuring. — Queensland Agricultural 
Journal , 
{To he concluded). 
PLANTING IN TOBAGO. 
As is well known, Cacao is just now one of the 
most promising and useful crops that could be growQ 
in Tobago. It will not grow everywhere. But there 
can be no doubt that there are some localities in the 
island that suit Cacao very well. What the cultivator 
must do is to carefully bear in min I what the Cacao 
tree requires and give it the best conditions for its 
growth and for producing good crops. In the follow- 
ing pages an attempt is made to give m simple 
language hints in regard to choosing and planting 
the land, caring for the trees, gathering the crop 
and pi-eparing the Cacao ready for market. It is» 
believed that if the directions here given are fully 
carried out the cultivators, both large and small, 
will have good returns from their labour. It must, 
however, be remembered " Where there is little 
labour, there is little gain." 
Pl.^nting. — When planting cacao the following ten 
points should b3 observed: — 
1. Choose porous land, not too dry, well sheltered 
from the wind and, if possible, facing west. 
2. Leave all bushes on the ridges for 70 feet 
each side. 
3. Clear the land well, burning all the wood and 
bush, ou the surface, but not in heaps. 
4. Mark out the ground in parallel rows, 12 to 
15 feet apart, and, at the same distance apart, place 
along these rows, stakes so arranged that those of 
one row alternate with those of the next. 
,5. Turn up the soil, to a depth of one foot, for 
three feet around each stake. 
6. Plant permanent shade trees in each third 
hole of each third row. 
7. Plant the cacao during the moist weather of 
June or July. 
8. Plant bananas halfway between each pair ot 
cacao trees, and tannias between the bananas. 
9. iMulch around the trees, but do not disturb the 
roots by forking. Scratch the surface lightly with 
hoe or rake previous to laying on the mulching. 
10 Always keep the ground clean and free from 
weeds. 
1. Choose porous layid, net too dry, well sheltered from 
the ivind and if possible facing vjest. 
Suitable land will generally be found on the lower 
and more gentle slopes of ridges, where the soil ia 
usually loose, open, sufficiently deep and well drained, 
On the steeper slopes of the ridges the soil is generally 
