GOLD COAST REPOKT ON FORESTS. 15 



that country found numbers of trees growing 1 luxuriantly in 

 rich alluvial ' pockets " of -soil. Hence, provided it is planted 

 in deep soil, I see no reason why it should not grow well within 

 the evergreen forest belt of West Africa. As far as I am aware, 

 no determined effort has yet been made for the introduction of 

 this tree to the Coast. Any experiments made in this direction 

 are well worth the trouble and expense, as the reward of success 

 will be great. 



The Padauk (Pterocarpus indicus). The only specimen to be 

 seen in the gardens does not look healthy and has not acquired 

 the typical habit. 



The same remarks apply to other Indian trees, such as Dal- 

 bergia Sixsoo and Dalbergia lalifnlia, specimens of which are 

 growing in the gardens. 



In addition to the experimental cultivation of various plants 

 of economic value, much attention has been paid by the Agricul- 

 tural Department of the Gold Coast to the most suitable methods 

 of preparing the indigenous rubbers, and some fine examples of 

 Funtumia elastica ' biscuits ' were seen. Research work in 

 connection with the extraction of palm oil from the nuts of the 

 numerous varieties of the oil palm has also been undertaken : 

 several distinct varieties of that species have apparently been 

 established and their products isolated. The results when pub- 

 lished should prove of great value to the palm-oil industry. 



A well-arranged Herbarium, containing specimens of a large 

 number of indigenous plants, has been formed, and is very useful 

 to students of the flora of tropical West Africa. The value of 

 the collection is enhanced by the fact that the bulk of the speci- 

 mens have been named from identifications carried out at the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and that it contains duplicates 

 of a large number of type specimens. 



The part played by the Agricultural Department of this Colony 

 in developing the local cocoa industry is well known, and has in 

 itself justified the expenses incurred in the up-keep of the 

 Department. It deserves every encouragement and the most 

 generous treatment at the hands of the Administration. During 

 my visit to Aburi, both the Acting Director of Agriculture and 

 the Curator took every opportunity of helping me in my inquiries 

 concerning the indigenous timber trees and other useful plants 

 of the country. Reports and documents relating to these' matters 

 were placed unreservedly at my disposal, and I was helped in 

 every possible way. I take this opportunity of acknowledging 

 my indebtedness to those officers, and of expressing my thanks 

 for the assistance rendered. 



Before leaving Aburi for my return journey to Accra, I was 

 shown the source of the precarious water supply of the former 

 town. The flow of what, a few years back, was a perennial stream 

 affording an ample supply of water has now dwindled down to 

 one or two trickles, and indications are not wanting of the stream 

 running dry in the near future. This scarcity of water has 

 undoubtedly resulted from the diminished supply of moisture in 

 the soil, resulting from the destruction of the forests. 



