122 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 



outgrows another, one suppressing the other, and the mixture con- 

 sequently no longer existing. More European supervision is required 

 to remove suppressed or crooked trees. 



III. District Plantations. 



Avenues of trees suitable for street-planting have been largely 

 made in Lome. The Terminalia catalpa (almond-tree) is one of the 

 most useful trees for this purpose ; at least 12 feet of the stems are 

 quite free from branches, and thus the trees cannot harbour many 

 insects. 



The coconut, though made use of for this purpose, is not so 

 suitable, as it lacks height-growth ; the Dracaena also, which does 

 not improve the roadside, and a species of Ficus, probably platyphylla, 

 which loses its foliage in the dry season, are neither of them a success. 

 Near the Government Plouse a large number of Casuarina equisitifolia 

 have been planted ; these have flourished well, as they can stand the 

 ocean wind blowing almost continuously at Lome. 



In the Experimental Gardens, which are situated 80 feet above 

 sea-level, there are many interesting varieties. 



The soil, a mixture of very poor sand with a great deal of iron, 

 is not favourable to height-growth of the teak (Tectona grandis) ; the 

 seeds, though in great quantities, are small and ill-developed. The 

 mahogany, too, showed poor height and girth growth, the locality 

 was evidently not suitable for it. Other trees that did not seem to 

 thrive were Cedrela odorata, the Cigar-box Cedar Tree, Pithecolobium 

 dulcis, Funtumia elastica, Bread-fruit, Artocarpus incisa, Ficus Vogelii, 

 Borassus flabellifer, Bixa orellana, Acacia catechu, Casuarina equisiti- 

 folia, Manihot Glaziovii and Manihot dichotama ; but the oil palms, 

 Elceis Guineensis, and Ficus elastica were doing exceeding well and 

 were of a healthy green colour. Bamboos and the usual tropical 

 fruits had also been planted. The Kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra 

 according to German botanists, and Eriodendron Nigericum accord- 

 ing to Kew botanists), which has been planted too far apart, has 

 made very little growth. 



Under the guidance of the Director I visited the Agricultural 

 School at Nuatja, 50 miles from Lome. Experimental work of all 

 kinds was carried on here. In the nurseries were to be found Kapok, 

 Ceiba pentandra, cotton and oil palms. In a machinery shed were 

 a cotton gin and press, and husking machines for other seed. Lectures 

 are given early in the year, and as the season advances practical work 

 takes their place. 



A great drawback to the extension of the Atakpame District 

 plantations (95 miles from Lome) is the shortness of labour, as the 

 natives pay their tax instead of working. 



