Vol. IX. No. 22-5. 



.THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



389 



AGRICULTURE ON THE GOLD COASTr- - 



GENKRAL. The Agricultural Deijartment Las done excel- 

 lent work during the year, and has endeavoured, through 

 travelling instructors, both European and native, to dissemia- 

 ate more scientific methods of cultivating and preparing 

 agricultural and economic products. 



The quantity of cacao exported from the colony during 

 the year amounted to 45,277,606 Mb., valued at £75.5,347, 

 compared with 28,54.5,910 lb., valued at £540,821, in the 

 year 1908. 



The cultivation of this product is rapidly extending in 

 the Eastern and Central Provinces of the colony, and in 

 Ashanti; but no means exist, at present, of accurately estimat- 

 ing the area under cultivation. With the very rapid 

 growth of this industry — which, owing to its being almost 

 exclusively in the hands of native farmers, has developed on 

 somewhat primitive lines — have come various insect and 

 fungoid pests; but many of the farmers, thanks to the energy 

 of the travelling instructors, are alive to the danger, and are 

 taking steps to rectify matters. Printed instructions on the 

 subject, issued in native languages, have been widelj' dis- 

 seminated. 



The following figures tend to show that improvement 

 has been made in the quality of Gold Coast cacao: — 



Average price per cwt: — 1908. 1909. 



s. d. s. d. 



Trinidad (fine West Indian) 77 58 G 



Accra (British West African) UO 50 



Difference 



17 



8 6 



The quantity of rublier exported during 1909 was 

 2,704,190 b)., as compared with 1,773,248 lb., iu the previous 

 year. The systematic cultivation of this product is now 

 rapidly extending, but the whole of the output is still 

 obtained from trees and vines (Funtuniia and Landolphia) 

 in the vast undeveloped forests of the interior. 



The output of kola continues to show a steady increase, 

 the export value for the year 1909 lieing £93,850, and that 

 for the year 1908, £84,3(!2. 



Oil palm products were subjected to various experiments 

 during the year, and the results have been published in the 

 Kew Bulletin. The export value of palm kernels shows an 

 increase of £34,604 on the preceding year, while that of palm 

 oil shows a decrease of £8,557. 



FORESTRY. The Ducleus of a Forestry Department was 

 formed during the latter part of the year. The conservator, 

 Mr. McLeod, arrived in the colony in September, and was 

 engaged for the remainder of the year in investigating the 

 principal forest areas with a view to their conservation and 

 the acquisition of reserves. 



PRODUCTS EXAMINED AT TllK IMPERIAL INSTITUTE. 



Reports on the following subjects have lieen furnished to 

 the Government of the Gold Coast from the Imperial In- 

 stitute, as the result of investigations conducted in the 

 Scientific and Technical Department, supplemented when 

 necessary by technical trials by manufacturers and commer- 

 cial experts. In many cases, recommendations have been 

 made as to the further action which is required in the Colony 

 to develop the production of materials, for which there would 

 be a satisfactory commercial demand 



Samples of Funtumia rubber in the form of ' crepe ' and 

 ' lump ' were examined. The latex was stated to have been 

 coigulated by the juice of the ' Diecha ' vine, which has since 

 been identified at Kew as Strophant/uis Preusii, Engl, et Pax. 

 The action of this coagulant is under investigation at the 

 Imperial Institute. 



The crepe rubber was of very fair quality, although the 

 percentages of resin and insoluble matter were higher than in 

 some samples of Funtumia rubber from the Gold Coast pre- 

 viously examined. It was valued at 5s per lb., with fine hard 

 Para at 5s. id. per ttt. 



The lump rublier, as received, contained an excessive 

 quantity of moi.sture, amounting to nearly 50 per cent, by 

 weight. The partially dried rubber was valued at only 

 2s. 3d. per lb., with fine hard Para at 5s. id. per lb. The 

 commercial value of this rubber was therefore considerably 

 enhanced by its conversion into crOpe. 



A series of forty-eight of the principal timbers of 

 Ashanti, collected by (Captain C. H. Armitage, D.S.O., was 

 examined. The majority of these timbers would be useful 

 locally for constructional and other purposes, whilst certain 

 of them resemble mahogany, cedar, and other well-known 

 woods, and might lie suitable for export. Of the latter 

 group, the following were regarded as the most promis- 

 ing : Odupan {KItaya sp.), Dubin or Odubin (Kkaya 

 sp.), Krubna or Okumankra {Khaya .sp.), and Krubna 

 or Akwabohori {Khaya antholica). The report on these 

 timbers will be published in due course in the Bulletin of 

 the Imperial Institute. 



Three native varieties of cotton from the Gold Coast, 

 including 'Volta River' and 'Native Green-seed', were of 

 good quality and worth 4id. to 5hd. per lb., with middling 

 American at 5 05'/. per tti. Another sample, grown near 

 Akim, and probably a native variety, was rough, somewhat 

 stained and worth about 6d. per lb., with middling American 

 at 5"54(/. per lb. A sample from the Ancobra River 

 represented a good class of cotton, liut was much depreciated 

 in value by the large proportion of stains, which appeared 

 to have been caused by insect pests in the crop. It was 

 valued by brokers at about 6rf. per lb., with 'middling' 

 American cotton at 5'5id. per lb. 



A botanical specimen of the ogea or gum copal tree was 

 identified at Kew as Cyanothyrsus Ogea, Harms. It is 

 believed that ogea gum is derived from two or three different, 

 but allied, plants, and endeavours are being made to deter- 

 mine these. 



The kernels of Carapa seeds were valued at £11 5s. per 

 ton by a firm of oil seed crushers, who offered to take a trial 

 consignment of 50 tons of the kernels at this price. {Colonial 

 Reports — Annual, No. 654.) 



Rice in British Guiana. 



The last fortnightly report of Messrs. Sandbach, 

 Parker & Co., of Georgetown, on the rice industry of 

 British Guiana, dated Xovember 2.5, I9I0, gives 

 information as follows: — 



The weather during the fortnight has been very warm 

 and suitable for reaping and milling, and deliveries of rice to 

 town have been fairly large. Reaping of paddy in some 

 districts has been completed, and we expect a shortage on 

 last year's crop. 



Prices have remained firm, and we look for an advance 

 .shortly. 



Shipments to West Indian islands during the fortnight 

 amounted to 2,000 bags. 



We quote to-day, f.o.b. Demerara, for good export 

 quality: — 



Nominally, 19s. to 20s. per bag of 180 lb. gross. 

 18s. to 19s. „ „ „ 164 „ „ 



