BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-10-16
ON 4 COCOA Farm.

and curing OF cocoa.
Many people, it is certain would be inter.
,sted in a short description of the routine OF
cocoa planting TO begin at the beginning |
10 the actual worker of the estate means
hard toll. He generally begins as contractor.
FIRST he has to clear the ground OF all old
roots of trees, and to have the estate proper.
" s.brusbedn. The soil has neEt to be pro-
Oerly prepared, and manured. He has to
bear all Of the responsibility in laying out the
plantation. with the knowledge that every |
imperfect tree means the loss Of "quarter"
to him. And there are so many things that
can make an imperfect tree. A yap root
badly trained, bad irrigation canal, a
badly planted shade tree, which will some
times cause the loss Of 3 or A trees, besioes
many other small mistakes so easy to com
nit anl all hut impossible to rectifg, has to
be guarded against
The most favorable time for planting
seeds is from February TO March. About
that time comes the first step in the pro
gram. AS many cocoa pods as are thought
necessary, are cut open, and stripped OIL
their beans, which are then planted IN
favourable soil, contained in some receipt
acle to facilitate shading and transplanting,
preferably, bamboo j)ints, if obtainable.
And Just here comes in the Cocoa Planters
bugqear shading.
For the first three yeals OF their growth,
the shoots have to be kept entirely in shade,
and the problem of how to provide proper
shade for say even 800 plants is generally
very annoying, and anxious one. In large
up to date estates, this veXing question is
often solved by the installation of nurseries
for rearing new plants, but the contractor,
not being able to afford such a luxury, has
to depend on his own resources. In about
six to eight months the shoots are generally
ready tor transplanting which is done in a
very systematic manner, the prevailing style
being in the form of horizontal rows IL feet
apart with each tree II # from its nearest
neighbour, and in the centre of each imagi.
nary square enclosed, by every four trees, is
planted and large tree; preferably, the
.'Bois Immortelleo which fills the three con-
ditions necessary in a cocoa shade tree,
namely = rapid growth of tree, with
dence foliage extensive shading pro
persies and branches nigh enough from
GROUND to give full growing space to the
cocoa trees, and so allow Of a uniform
circulation of air and light.
TIE cocoa pants have to be carefully
pruned of all useless sprouts, appearing
below the first branch, as also premature
pods. Small purple or very red shells are
dlwdys pTuned whichever they appear.
Blight, Parasites, aud Parasol ants lave TO
be guarded againsi; soil conditions have to
be studied, and in unfavOurable ground, the
tap roots can be trained to keep only in
favourable soil and natural and chemical
m inures and fertilizers, have to be compar.
ed and judgement exercised in the choice Of
those whic, seem to be most adaptable to
the local conditions.
The more care taken in the fertilization
and irrigation of the plants the greater will
be the individual trees return; the more
science that is brought to bear on the laying g
ont, and cultivatiDg Of a cocoa estate, the
more 1C,ll be the annual net profits. 1t gen.
full crop can be gathered. The gathering
of crops generally begins in June. also
December and lasts for from five days to five
weeSs according to the size Of the plantation
and the number Of labOrers employed. The
estate the presents scene of great activity.
Gangs Of laborers are employed to gather
the charge of an oversser.
The men are each provided With sort of
bilihook fastened to handle of from 20 TO
80 fit. in length, and machete. Each gaBg
of laborers take certain portion o. the plan.
tation,a AID cork is commenced. Three -fourths
of The men are set to pick the pods, while tie
rest gather them up, and throw them into
carts, or where the hill is too steep to allow
of cart, into large pannikers slung over tie
backs of mules They are then taken TO
the curing house, large low structure
resembling an immense tray mounted on
iron wheels, which thus allows of easy access
to the cocoa. Here men are waiting to cut
open the pods and strip the beans from
their stalk into the tray.
AS load after load arrives, the COCOA in
the tray (which is generally #. deep BY 80
TO 40 it, Long grotcs IN re and as soon ss
the entire bottom OF the tray has disappeared
fiom view, layer OF plantain leaves i, laid
over the cocoa to facilitate the fermentation
of the beans Sucking OF te juicy, and
delicious pulp that surrounds the beans is
allowed, but very seldom is it done by the
labourers IS most disagreable shortness Of
breath is the insvitstls result. Thus day by
day the work goes ON until the last tree is
stripped Of its pods, the last and taickest
layer of banana leaves laid on the beans in
the tray end then nothing more remains TO
be done except to allow the beans to ferment
properly.
On the proper fermentation of the beans.
do great deal Of their quality aud conse.
quent value depeue. Tco short fermentation
will produce swollen, unwholesome grade,
while the opposite extremity, takes ell Of the
nourishment and colour out Of your cocoa.
The time allowed for fermentation is gen
orally from four to six days, after which the
cocoa is ready for drying. This is Effected
by spreading out the beans in large fat
trays, and placing them under the full glare
of the sun. After the first day of Stunning
they should be stirred about every hour to
insure proper drying of all of the grains
Drying generally takes about or 10 days
Once drying has commenced, the cocoa
should never be allowed 10 get wet, as it isl
fatal to the conserTance Of good quality.
During fermentation, it is often necessary
n W Ia nn &C. La