Feb 1, 1902. J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTaRIST. 
§0? 
they pick nniipe fruit. It must not be forgotten 
that cacao is a stem-floweriug tree, although the 
branches he<r also a good deal of fruit. Red cacao 
trees bear for the first time when 3 or 4 years 
old.; the Dj'ati Rieuggo variety already with 2 to 
3 years ; some trees of this age bear already up to 
80 pads Tj3 time of development of cacao from 
flower to rips fruit is from 6 to 7 months. 
The planting distance is here 12 feet, for bed 
caoio as well as for the DjatiBDenggo variety ; if 
the trees should begin to hinder one another, then 
one tree in the cross is pruned down to that extent 
that only the crown remains ; the amount of stem- 
fruit o j trees thus pruned is amazing. This practice 
is successfully carried out at Flogo, the only place 
which I know, where red cacao gro/vs splendidly 
with but little damage through helopeltis ; the trees 
stand there, as a rule 12 by 12 feet. This pruning 
should be done with the bursting of the West monsoon. 
The cultivation of the soil is the same as with 
coffee; round the trees must bo hacked (gcpatjoold), 
and besides ''gebabat" owing to the consider- 
able distance of the plants. (After the trees have 
once closed, they will themselves kill all weeds, 
and only manuring is wanted.) 
In selecting seed-pods I prefer pods with thin 
shells and many large pits. Many big pods have 
thick shells and few but large pits ; these I rather 
reject. (Teysmannia, No. 4 and .5, year 12, page 216.) 
Sei.ec'iion of Seed for Cacao. 
Mr. J. B. 0>irrut lers, who since some years is 
busy with investigations in cacao cultivation in (Jeylon 
(there were formerly already some reports anent 
this in Teysmannia) has made some important 
experiments about the selection of cacao seed. 
He examined fully 300 pods of different sizes, and 
came to the result that selecting the largest and 
nicest pods for seed is altogether useless, as the 
good size of pods is very often due to heavy and 
thick shells, and that their size is not at all pro- 
portionate to the size, number and weight of the 
seeds on which all depends. A better method to 
improve the species is to select the trees of which 
you wish t3 propagate the seed. Trees which bear 
abundantly, whose pods contain many and heavy 
seeds and not much subjected to disease are of 
course preferable. — '/'/(e Tropical Agriculturist, No. 10, 
1901. 
The curing is done this way : The shells are 
taken off in the garden, and the seeds after being 
" takkered " are fermented in troughs. My ferment- 
ing troughs are made of wood and placed in "(tories 
one above the other. The fresh seed goes to the 
first trough and remains there, covered with Siicks, 
to the next morning, when the whole conteuts are 
emptied intoHhe second trough twenty-four hours 
l.it.er this trough is emptied in ths third and after 
another twenty-four hours the cacao is washed and 
left for twenty-four hours under water ; after another 
washing the cacao is dried as quickly as possible. 
If the cacao should not become perfectly dry in 
open air (which makes a drying shed indispensable 
for large production), it becomes mildewy a. id looses 
considerably in value. When drying in sheds one 
has to take care lest the cacao which is of a nice 
light brown colour, should be spread directly on 
galvanized iron sheets, as its sour juice in contact 
wi ll tile fi;jk, causes biown spots on the pits which 
is the more to be feared with the light brown Djati 
Rienggo than with red Java cacao. To prevent thia 
trouble I have the drying floor coveri-d with coccs- 
matting. 
About the diseases of cacao I have already spoken 
in the begiijning. The best ways of treatment are 
cow thoroughly investigated in by Dr. Zehntner. In 
order to learn the results of his investigations 
planters ought surely become members of the trial 
station at Salatiga. 
Every cacao planter ought, to my idea, become 
a member; this would reduce to a minimum the 
cost per acre, 
It was in order to avoid all kind of reolime that" 
I did not recommend the Djati Roenggo variety 
earlier. But as I had been requested to say something 
on supplementary cultures, I thought it of general 
interest, to make known the little 1 know about it. 
Jlr. du Bjis, jr, wishes to draw attention 
with a few words to the conflicting advices given 
by difierent writers concerning the amount of shade 
which cacao .needs. Mr. MacGillawry, he says, 
would give as little shade as possible. I should not 
recommend to follow Mr. Mac Gillawry too closely 
in the Eistern Provinces. la the literature you 
find, that shade, as a rule, is highly recommended, 
so that we, at least, are bound to give it our full - 
attention. 
The Chairman remarks tha*; his experience coin- * 
cides with Mr. du Bois. It was always in well- 
shaded gardens that he found the freshest trees • 
with the healthiest fruit. But, perhaps, the clima- 
tological conditions of Djati Roenggo are different. - 
Mr. MacGillawry mentions the estates of Ngobo, ' 
Ngoepit and Groot Gatas as instances where a good 
produce of cacao is obtained with little shade. 
He has observed that heavy shade decreases the 
amount of dew ; he had even to thin out shade 
trees here and there. But before all wind-protection 
must be provided. Referent mentions besides that; 
if he had to choose between different shade trees, 
he would give preference to castilloa before ciaat- 
pinn, as the former gives some little profits. ' 
The Chairman remarks that in the Eastern Pro- 
viuces cacao seems to be more sensible for drought ' 
than in Central Java. Mr. MasGiUawry relates;- 
that w.th him youna; trees even after two months' 
drought are still full of leaves. But then he spends" 
fl 16,000 (—Bps 19,200) per year on manure, and: 
manuring begins wi h the planting. He uses almost 
exclusively buffalo and cattle manure. His lands 
are already for 69 years under cultivation, and, at 
fii'st sight, valueless. The Chairman rem aks on the' 
probability that the trees acquire tnrough this a 
greater power of resistance. 
CINCHONA ON THE NILGIRIS, 
(Extracts from Annual Administr.^tion Report on' 
THE Government Cinchona Department, Nilgiris, 
FOR TH13 Year 1900-1901.) : 
The area under cultivation on the old estates is 
831 m6 acres and the area of the first two e-xtensiona 
at Hooker is 160 acres. The total expenditure on the 
upkeep of these 991'46 acres including the charges for 
head office was Rs. ."10,547-7-3 or Rs. 50-15-8 per acre.; 
The total expenditure on factory account is detailed' 
as follows ■• 
RS. A. P. - - 
Purchase of 167,200 lb, of bark ... 53,863 12 2 • ' 
Machioery and plant 29,985 2 2 
Manufacturing and distributing 
charges 22,785 1 2 : 
Total.. 1,06,633 15 6 
The balance sheet (statement 15) shows a profit 
balance of Rs. 41,315-13-7 and statement 13 showrt 
an excess of revenue over expenditure from the com- 
mencement of the plantations to date of Rs. 47,861, 
and, after allowing interest on receipts as well as 
on charges, the net surplus to date is Rs. 14,43,886. 
Doclahetta, — The pruning that was done in 1899-1900 
proved very beneficial to the trees by admitting more 
light and air, and during the past year the area 
pruned was 32-90 acres. This pruning was confined 
to the removal of the larger branches and extra 
stems in places where the trees were crowded, and 
in carrying out this work the importance of main- 
taining a good Ciown to each tree was kept in view. 
It haa long been supposed that the leaves of tlw 
