Liberia 



<♦- 



Amongst other products of the country not included in 

 any recent list of exports, but which, if they could be worked 

 with industry, might well add to the stream of Liberian com- 

 merce, are rice, cotton, peppers of various sorts, the Sirophanthus 

 drug, timber from the African mahogany and teak, copal gum, 

 and pineapple fibre. 



Reliable statistics relative to the exports are not easily 

 obtainable, but their average annual value at the time of writing 

 is about ^200,000. 



Coffee was once the principal article of export, but now 

 takes a secondary rank. It is mainly exported from Monrovia 

 and Cape Mount (Robertsport). It is grown extensively on the 

 St. Paul's River by the Americo-Liberians. At one time 

 Liberian coffee was greatly appreciated in the European markets, 

 and for many years averaged the high price of ^5 per cwt. 

 The increasing importations from Brazil, Ceylon, and from 

 other sources have had, however, a serious effect upon the 

 value of Liberian coffee, which is now only worth from 38^. to 

 44J. per cwt. The reason for this fall in the value of Liberian 

 coffee is not only to be sought in the larger imports from 

 other countries, but also in the fact that the Liberian planters 

 are unscientific in their methods of preparation for market, 

 the machinery employed is primitive, and, as a consequence, the 

 coffee berries come into the market in a broken and imperfect 

 condition. There is no doubt that proper treatment would 

 have the effect of greatly enhancing the value of this product. 

 It is a delicious coffee of full flavour and improves with age. 

 The Liberian planters are gradually awakening to the fact that 

 their old and primitive methods are retarding progress, and ar| 

 beginning to attempt improvements. 



About 1,500,000 lb. avoirdupois of coffee are annually 

 exported from Liberia. This output is growing to some slight 



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