they have the appearance of gardens.

_Clearing the Land._

When the planter has chosen a suitable site, an exercise requiring
skill, the forest has to be cleared. The felling of great trees and the
clearing of the wild tangle of undergrowth is arduous work. It is well
to leave the trees on the ridges for about sixty feet on either side,
and thus form a belt of trees to act as wind screen. Cacao trees are as
sensitive to a draught as some human beings, and these "_wind breaks_"
are often deliberately grown--Balata, Poui, Mango (Trinidad), Galba
(Grenada), Wild Pois Doux (Martinique), and other leafy trees being
suitable for this purpose.

_Suitable Soil._

It was for many years believed that if a tree were analysed the best
soil for its growth could at once be inferred and described, as it was
assumed that the best soil would be one containing the same elements in
similar proportions. This simple theory ignored the characteristic
powers of assimilation of the tree in question and the "digestibility"
of the soil constituents. However, it is agreed that soils rich in
potash and lime (e.g., those obtained by the decomposition of certain
volcanic rocks) are good for cacao. An open sandy or loamy alluvial soil
is considered ideal. The physical condition of the soil is equally
important: heavy clays or water-logged soils are bad. The depth of soil
required depends on its nature. A stiff soil discourages the growth of
the "tap" root, which in good porous soils is generally seven or eight
feet long.

[Illustration: CHARACTERISTIC ROOT SYSTEM OF THE CACAO TREE.
Note the long tap root.
(Reproduced from the Imperial Institute series of Handbooks to the
Commercial Resources of the Tropics, by permission.)]

_Manure._

The greater part of the world's cacao is produced without the use of
artificial manures. The soil, which is continually washed down by the
rains into the rivers, is continually renewed by decomposition of the
bed rock, and in the tropics this decomposition is more rapid than in
temperate climes. In Guayaquil, "notwithstanding the fact that the same
soil has been cropped consecutively for over a hundred years, there is
as yet no sign of decadence, nor does a necessity yet arise for
artificial manure."[1] However, manures are useful with all soils, and
necessary with many. Happy is the planter who is so placed that he can
obtain a plentiful supply of farmyard or pen manure, as this gives
excellent