Cocoa And Chocolate
The Tree, The Bean The Beverage

102 THE COCOA AND CHOCOLATE INDUSTRY It will be noted that the most costly item is the practically indispensable cattle establishment. While some of the animals do useful work on the plantations, all provide mamire of great value. In Irinidad, on an estate of 200 acres, one may find two horses, five mules, four cows, and. two calves. All the items a.re seif, explanatory with the exception of Watchmen. Some planters regard watchmen as a necessary nuisance. Their chief duty is the prevention of theft, and other duties are sometimes added, such as the destruction of squirrels. Costs vary with. methods, and both alike are open to criticism. It may therefore be useful to give Mr. Stanhope Lovell’s figures for comparison and contrast. These figures are for an estate of about 200 acres, yielding 4 cwts. to the acre, and the managers salary is not included, neither is the cost of manure or barracks. It is well to note that overhead and superintendence charges are generally the heaviest items on the planta-tion’s balance sheet and naturally reduce the profits. This explains why several large estates in a group are managed more profitably than a single small estate, the planter’s salary and overhead charges being spread over a greater acreage. (See opposite page.) These calculations were made in 1922, when labour was costly and prices for cacao were lower than they had been for some years. Thus in the rosy days of January, 1920, fine Trinidad cacao was fetching up to $27.50 in Trinidad and £6 10s. to £6 11s. the cwt. in London, while the average price in 1922 was $11.50 in Trinidad and (3 10s. 7d. in London. One of the most striking figures is the amount spent on pruning and trimming, which, in Mr. Stanhope Lovell’s opinion, is the most important work on the plantation.