Intensive cropping on a commercial scale as practised on fertile land in Europe is hitherto unknown in the Gold Coast apart from the growing of cocoa trees in a wide belt stretching from east to west across the central region of the country. In general, the method of farming is exceedingly primitive, being largely shifting cultivation, that is, the bush is partially cleared and the land is then cultivated by hand-hoes and cropped for a period of three or four years. Normally, no manure of any kind, either organic or inorganic, is applied and the land at the end of this period is allowed to revert to bush. New ground is brought into cultivation in its place, only to be allowed when virtually exhausted of readily available plant food to return to its natural, jungle condition.