Dec. 1, 1900.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
3^1 
position of the tree in the soil. Any of the smaller roots 
which are unavoidably broken, during the operation of 
forking, should be cleanly cut back. New roots will 
spring from this point and continue to nourish the 
the tree. 
Forking, by turning up soil, exposes it to the action 
of the sun and air. By this means the soil is loosened, 
the capacity for retaining air and moisture much in- 
creased, while at the same time the removal of excess 
of moisture is greatly faci'itated. As a rule it will be 
noticed that the soil around the roots of old and 
neglected cacao trees is water-logged and unwhole- 
some. No air can penetrate into it, and, as the roots 
can only develop when air is present, it follows there- 
fore that the growth of healthy rootlets in such a soil 
is completely checked. It is also well known that 
chemical change can only take place in the presence 
of air. Such a change therefore is not only arrested, 
but injurious combinations arise which discourage or 
destroy the roots of plants. It is therefore evident 
that judicious forking increases the porosity of the 
soil. Its effect is further strengthened if all leaves 
and vegetable refuse are dug in at the same time. 
Vegetable refuse or humus performs a most 
necessary function in damp clay. It serves to keep 
the small particles of the soil farther apart, and it 
thereby permits the free admission of air, on which 
so many important changes and combinations de- 
pend. It is doubtful whether it would be found 
advisable to bury vegetable refuse 'in a green condi- 
tion in damp mountain lands. A better plan would 
be to allow it to become withered for a few days 
before digging it in. 
4. DrMniiuj. This naturally follows the operation 
of forking. When heavy rains fall on clay lands a 
certain quantity of the water is absorbed by the soil 
and the remainder either lies on the surface or is 
carried away by drains and streams. Some soils are 
extremely porous and rapidly part with their 
moisture after heavy rains Clay soils, on the other 
hand, retain water for too long a time, and thus 
become old and sour. The only remedy for this is 
di ainage. 
It being established therefore that land is drained 
with the two-fold object of removing superfluous 
moisture and of promoting a free circulation of air, 
it is important to remember that, unless the water in 
a soil is kept in circulation, no air can enter between 
the particles of it. On damp mountain lands 
drainage has also another important office. It pre- 
vents landslips and washes. The rainfall is usually 
abundant in such localities and the soil cannot 
absorb the water as fast as it falls. Hence . land- 
slips occur. This never happens in forest land, 
because the soil is bound together with a network 
of roots. When however the forest is destroyed, and 
the land tilled and planted with cacao, the loose soil is 
then easily swept away by heavy rains. After a 
shower each stream and watercourse demonstrates 
most clearly that a large quantity of surface soil 
has been carried away, until finallji unless care is 
taken to prevent this by a proper system of drainage, 
there is nothing left but the bare sub-soil from which 
cacao trees cease to obtain any nourishment. 
Surface drainage is the only method practicable in 
cacao fields. All such drains should be carefully laid 
out with a view to prevent washes. No 
drain should be made straight up and 
down the, face of a hillside. Advantage should 
be taken of ravines and natural water courses where- 
ever they occur and " contour " drains, 18 inches wide 
and 2 feet deep, should be regularly led into them 
at a distance of 40 to 50 feet apart. These drains 
should be made at an incline of 1 foot in 15, according to 
to the steepness of the land. By having a system of 
drains made at any easy gradient, such as that above 
described, it is possible to recover a large quantity Of 
the soil washed out of the land. It might be found 
beneficial to have all contour drains cleaned out at 
Regular intervals during the rainy season and Jthe 
Oul^ sfiead ^ b^twe^n the trees, 
5. Manuring is the next step necessary to restor* 
old cacao trees. Manures supply the soil with the 
food required by the plants. This food may be eithei 
deficient in the land itself or taken oat of it by cnlti- 
vation. To the small grower pen manure would prob- 
ably prove of the greatest value. Pen or farmyard 
manure is what is known as a general manure, and can 
be applied with safety to all soils and to all plants. 
It is of the greatest value, not only on account of iU 
manurial action, but also on account of the mechanical 
action, which the burying of large quantities of 
trash and other refuse exercises on the particles of 
the soil. Pen manure should always be applied 
about 4 feet from the stem of the tree, in a shallow 
trench, and should be lightly covered with soil. In 
cases where the soil has been long neglected and con- 
tains a large amount of sour organic matter, it may 
be found necessary to apply a top dressing of lime, 
a few months before using .farmyard manure. Lima 
acts beneficially in many ways. It decomposes all 
kinds of vegetable matter in the soil and corrects 
any acidity due to the presence of organic acids. It 
also has a good eSect on the mechanical condition o( 
soils. On stiff and retentive clays it pulverizes and 
lightens the particles, thereby improving the drainage 
and reducing any undue excess of organic matter. On 
soils deficient in available lime a top dressing of about 
4 tons per acre would probobly be. required. When 
applying calcareous manures they should be kept near 
the surface and not deeply buried in, as lime quickly 
sinks into the soil and has a tendency therefore to 
run away from the roots of the plants. 
Artificial Manures. Professor Harrison after ftn 
exhaustive examination of the soils of Grenada re- 
commends generally Basic Slag or Thomas Fhosphata 
powder. This should be applied broadcast in qnan- 
tities of about 2 lbs. per tree on the forked surface. 
It should afterwards be lightly worked in and a top 
dressing of about x lb. of nitrate of soda or sulphato 
of ammonia per tree may subsequently be given. 
Governor oj Windward Islands — to Commisaiontr of 
Agriculture. 
Windward Islands. 
Miscellaneous. 
No. 72. Grenada, 3l8t May, 1899 
Sir, — I beg to acknowledge and thank yon for 
your interesting and useful letter G. 1439 of the 26th 
instant embodying suggestions for dealing with old and 
neglected cacao trees. 
2. I have directed the publication of your letter la 
the Official Gazette. It will also be laid before the 
Grenada Agricultural Society as you desire. 
3. Too much importance cannot be attached to 
the question of the suitability and composition of arti- 
ficial manures locally imported for use in the island. 
I had intended to have earlier written to ask you what 
quantity of each kind you required, and would snffico 
for purposes of analysis. Would it not help the 
question to have also specimens of soil from exhansted 
cacao areas ? Kindly let me know. — I have, &o., 
(Sigd,) Alfred Moloney, Governor 
SOME FUNGI OF THE CACAO TREE. 
( With Plate.) 
BY J. H. HART F.L.S., 
Saperinteudent, Royal Botanic Gardens, Trini* 
dad. 
One of the earliest records of disease among 
cacao trees is that given by Long in his history 
of Jamaica. In 1671 Long states that there Were 
as many as sixty-five " walks " in bearing, while 
in 1882, only small patches, of no great extent 
remained. Long also records that the Plantation 
were destroyed by a " blast." 
What this blast was there is little evidence to 
proved but taking one interpretation of the word, 
" to strike with some sudden plague," it may 
possibly have been occasioned by the rapid spread 
s9mQ In^igenvua fftrasitio fungus. Xhe \x^^ 9( 
