Cocoa And Chocolate
The Tree, The Bean The Beverage

I i K •-X J ■h L<5 •-1 \Zt __ I 96 THE COCOA AND CHOCOLATE INDUSTRY advanced and thorough, they illustrate the costs of the various items, a number of which must be borne wherever an attempt is made at cacao cultivation. Many estates in Trinidad have been established by the contract system. By this method the land is let out to the contractor for four or five years, during which period he has the privilege of growing certain kinds of provisions on the land rent-free, and at the end of that time the young cacao trees are bought from him at 8d. to 1s. a tree. The costs below are for those cases in which the planter takes charge. The author owes the figures to the kindness of Mr. Stanhope Lovell. The cultivation is not quite so elaborate as in Ceylon, but any reduction due to this is compensated for by the very high cost of labour, the conditions of which, as in many other parts of the world, are not so settled as formerly. Cost of Starting a Plantation. Mr. Stanhope Lovell gives the following figures for Trinidad in 1922. They would apply to a plantation of say 200 acres, where the ground was level and the soil calcareous. The costs do not include either the expenses of management or the costs of stock or buildings— COST OF STARTING A PLANTATION Each Acre Costs : £ s. d. £ s. d. Felling and clearing . . . 3 - - Drainage, roads, weeding, etc. . 4 - - Planting . . . . . 2 - - Ist year .... 2nd year .... 210 — 3rd year .... 210- 4th year .... 2 10 - 5th year . . • ■ 2 - - 6th year .... 2 - - Total cost to bring to bearing] £20 10 -