Planting may be done "at stake" or from the nursery. For the unskilled
or inexperienced planter, who has means at hand to defray the greater
cost, planting "at stake" is perhaps to be recommended. This is no
more than the dropping and lightly covering, during the rainy season,
of three or four seeds at the stake where the plant is to stand,
protecting the spot with a bit of banana leaf, left till the seeds
have sprouted, and subsequently pulling out all but the one strongest
and thriftiest plant.
The contingencies to be met by this system are many. The enemies of
the cacao seed are legion. Drought, birds, worms, ants, beetles, mice,
and rats will all contribute their quota to prevent a good "stand"
and entail the necessity of repeated plantings. Success by planting
"at stake" is so doubtful that it is rarely followed by experienced
planters.
The consequent alternative lies in rearing seedlings in seed beds that
are under immediate control, and, when the plants are of sufficient
size, in transplanting them to their proper sites in the orchard. In
view of the remarkable short-lived vitality of the cacao seed, it is
in every way advisable that the untrained grower procure his plants
from professional nurserymen, or, if this resource is lacking, that he
import the young plants in Wardian cases from some of the many firms
abroad who make a specialty of preparing them for foreign markets.
Both of these expedients failing, then it is advised that the seeds
be sown one by one in small pots, or, if these are not procurable,
in small bamboo tubes, and, for the sake of uniform moisture, plunge
them to their rims in any free, light soil in a well-shaded easily
protected spot where they may be carefully watered. In three to six
months (according to growth) the tube with its included plant may be
planted in the open field, when the former will speedily decompose
and the growth of the cacao proceed without check or injury.
At best, all of the above suggested methods are but crude expedients
to replace the more workmanlike, expeditious, and satisfactory process
of planting the conventional nursery grown stock. There is nothing
more difficult in the rearing of cacao seedlings than in growing any
other evergreen fruit tree. Briefly stated, it is only the finding
of a well-prepared, well-shaded seed bed and sowing the seeds in rows
or drills, and, when the seedlings are of proper size, in lifting and
transferring them to the plantation. But in actual practice there are
many details calling for the exercise of trained judgment from the
preparation of the seed bed down to the final process of "hardening
off," concerning which the reader is referred to the many available
text-books on general nursery management.
It may be said for the benefit of those unable to adopt more scientific
methods: Let the seed bed be selected in a well-shaded spot, and, if
possible, upon a rather stiff, plastic, but well-drained soil. After
this is well broken up and made smooth, broadcast over all 3 or 4
inches of well-decomposed leaf mold mixed with sand, and in this sow
the seed in furrows about 1 inch deep. This sowing should be made
during the dry season, not only to avoid the beating and washing
of violent storms but to have the nursery plants of proper size for
planting at the opening of the rainy season. The seed bed should be
accessible to water, in order that it may be conveniently watered by
frequent sprinklings throughout the dry season.
The rich top dressing will stimulate the early growth of the seedling,
and when its roots enter the heavier soil below it will encourage a
stocky growth. Four or five months later the roots will be so well
established in the stiffer soil that if lifted carefully each plant
may be secured with a ball of earth about its roots, placed in a tray
or basket, and in this way carried intact to the field. Plants thus
reared give to the inexperienced an assurance of success not always
obtained by the trained or veteran planter of bare rooted subjects.