When left to its own resources the cacao will fruit for an almost
indefinite time. When well and strenuously grown it will bear much more
abundant fruit from its fifth to its twenty-fifth year, and by a simple
process of renewal can be made productive for a much longer time.
A necessary factor to this result is an annual pruning upon strictly
scientific lines. The underlying principle involved is, primarily,
the fact that the cacao bears its crop directly upon the main branches
and trunk, and not upon spurs or twigs; secondly, that wood under
three years is rarely fruitful, and that only upon stems or branches
of five years or upward does the maximum fruitfulness occur; that the
seat of inflorescence is directly over the axil of a fallen leaf, from
whence the flowers are born at irregular times throughout the year.
With this necessary, fundamental information as a basis of operations,
the rational system of pruning that suggests itself is the maintenance
of as large an extension at all times of straight, well-grown mature
wood and the perfecting of that by the early and frequent removal
of all limbs or branches that the form of the tree does not admit of
carrying without overcrowding.
It is desirable that this extension of the branch system should be
lateral rather than vertical, for the greater facility with which
fruit may be plucked and possible insect enemies fought; and on this
account the leading growths should be stopped when a convenient height
has been attained.
When well grown and without accident to its leader, the cacao will
naturally branch at from 1 to 1.4 meters from the ground. These
primary branches are mostly three to five in number, and all in
excess of three should be removed as soon as selection can be made
of three strongest that are as nearly equidistant from each other
as may be. When these branches are from 80 cm. to 1 meter long, and
preferably the shorter distance, they are to be stopped by pinching
the extremities. This will cause them and the main stem as well to
"break," i. e., to branch in many places.
At this point the vigilance and judgment of the planter are called
into greater play. These secondary branches are, in turn, all to
be reduced as were the primary ones, and their selection can not be
made in a symmetrical whorl, for the habit of the tree does not admit
of it, and selection of the three should be made with reference to
their future extension, that the interior of the tree should not be
overcrowded and that such outer branches be retained as shall fairly
maintain the equilibrium of the crown.
This will complete the third year and the formative stage of the
plant. Subsequent prunings will be conducted on the same lines, with
the modification that when the secondary branches are again cut back,
the room in the head of the tree will rarely admit of more than one,
at most two, tertiary branches being allowed to remain. When these
are grown to an extent that brings the total height of the tree
to 3 or 4 meters, they should be cut back annually, at the close
of the dry season. Such minor operations as the removal of thin,
wiry, or hide-bound growths and all suckers suggest themselves to
every horticulturist, whether he be experienced in cacao growing
or not. When a tree is exhausted by overbearing, or has originally
been so ill formed that it is not productive, a strong sucker or
"gourmand" springing from near the ground may be encouraged to grow. By
distributing the pruning over two or three periods, in one year the
old tree can be entirely removed and its place substituted by the
"gourmand." During the third year flowers will be abundant and some
fruit will set, but it is advisable to remove it while small and
permit all of the energy of the plant to be expended in wood making.
From what we know of its flowering habit, it is obvious that every
operation connected with the handling or pruning of a cacao, should
be conducted with extreme care; to see that the bark is never injured
about the old leaf scars, for to just the extent it is so injured is
the fruit-bearing area curtailed. Further, no pruning cut should ever
be inflicted, except with the sharpest of knives and saws, and the use
of shears, that always bruise to some extent, is to be avoided. All
the rules that are laid down for the guidance of the pruning of most
orchard trees in regard to clean cuts, sloping cuts, and the covering
of large wounds with tar or resin apply with fourfold force to the
cacao. Its wood is remarkably spongy and an easy prey to the enemies
ever lying in wait to attack it, and the surest remedies for disease
are preventive ones, and by the maintenance of the bark of the tree
at all times in the sound condition, we are assured that it is best
qualified to resist invasion. Of the great number of worm-riddled
trees to be seen in the Archipelago, it is easy in every case to
trace the cause to the neglect and brutal treatment which left them
in a condition to invite the attacks of disease of every kind.