Last year these trees did not average more than 2 lbs. per tree, and I attribute the increase of crop to the thinning out of both the cacao and shade trees.

In a former letter to the cacao-planters of Trinidad, I recommended twenty-four to thirty feet from tree to tree as the proper distance; but so as to meet the feelings of those who, unfortunately for themselves, consider every cacao tree cut down a sacrifice, I propose that the trees be thinned out to twenty-four feet, and that, at intervals of twenty rows at most, avenues of fifty feet in both directions should be left.  After this, it will be better seen what may be necessary to be done to each individual tree; neither should the shade trees be forgotten; as a general rule, they are prejudicially thick.

By attending to this, I am quite satisfied that a very material increase in the produce will be seen; indeed, I may say that on this depends the chief difference of 11/4 lb. and 11 lbs. per tree; for I consider it a very fair inference, that the average obtained here can be realised in any other place in this island, and to any extent, under the same circumstances of light and air, unless on very poor soil, of which we fortunately have but little.

At twenty-four feet apart there would be seventy-five trees per acre, or 250 per quarree.  This, at 11 lbs. per tree, gives 2,750 lbs. of dried cacao per quarree, at 5 dollars per 100 lbs., gives 137 dollars 50 cents gross; deducting 80 dollars per quarree expenses, leaves 57 dollars 60 cents net profit.  Thus an estate of 120 acres, or 36 quarrees, would contain 9,000 trees, at 11 lbs. per tree will give 33,000 lbs. of cacao, at 5 dollars gives 4,350 dollars gross per annum; deducting 80 dollars per quarree (a much more liberal sum than is at present laid out), leaves a net balance of 1,950 dollars, or 16 dollars 25 cents per acre.

Now this, it must be remembered, would be the produce from 9,000 trees, and from an estate containing only 36 quarrees of land (which cannot be considered a large one); what, then, might be expected from estates containing 40,000 trees?

I have been recently favoured with the following average return of cacao in this island, which I have no doubt will be considered a fair one.  I insert it in full, and, from the very low return, it shows a lamentable deficiency in the cultivation of this most grateful tree:—­

    ’The average number of cacoa trees in a quarree of land is 868.

’1st.  The estates throughout the island are generally planted at a distance of 12 feet by 12, and 131/2 feet by 131/2.  Those planted at 12 by 12 contain 969 trees in the quarree, and those at 131/2 by 131/2 contain 767 trees, the area of the quarree being taken at 139,697 superficial feet.  There may be in the island about 60 quarrees in all, planted at 15 by 15 feet.

    ’2nd.  The actual annual value of a quarree of land planted in cacoa
    is ten fanegas, or 11/4 lb. to a tree.