100 COLONIAL REPORTS MISCELLANEOUS. 



tLere is no doubt that it is one of the most paying crops in the 

 country. The best market for this produce is in Northern 

 Nigeria, and it is quite unaffected by any fluctuations in the 

 demand for kola in Europe. Like the majority of the indigenous 

 West African plants, the growth of the seedlings is considerably 

 checked by transplanting, hence it is preferable to sow tlie seeds 

 out to stake. This is being done with success in the Bunsu 

 plantation, where all the young plants so raised are showing 

 excellent growth. Mr. Pritchard deserves every credit for the 

 enterprise shown by him in striking out what is practically a 

 new line of his own. The kola plantation should prove a paying 

 concern in a few years' time. 



As regards the agricultural prospects of Eastern Ashanti and 

 the Kwahu, Akyem, and Aburi districts of the Colony, I think 

 that, providing the climatic factors remain unchanged, there is 

 a great future before them, and that any expenditure likely to 

 be incurred in constructing a railway to tap these centres and 

 to open up the bracing highlands of Kwahu as a residence for 

 Europeans is quite justifiable. 



To sum up. My tours through the country have convinced me 

 that the Gold Coast Colony and the Protectorate of Ashanti, more 

 especially the latter, possess in their magnificent forests a great 

 natural source of wealth the value of which, with proper manage- 

 ment, should increase from year to year as the world's supply 

 of timber becomes depleted and we have to fall back on our 

 Colonies and Protectorates to make up part of the deficiency. 

 Nothing is more certain than the fact that of late years not only 

 the wood increment but also a large portion of the wood-producing 

 capital has been removed from the chief timber-producing centres 

 of the world in meeting the yearly demand, and that the avail- 

 able supply is rapidly becoming exhausted. As some of the 

 sources, such as the forests of Canada, the United States, and 

 Asiatic Russia, for instance, are brought under systematic 

 management, the output from them will have to be considerably 

 curtailed, and this will further reduce the available supply. A 

 beginning has already been made in these countries by the forest 

 management in each being placed under the charge of a properly 

 constituted forest department, and no doubt the result of their 

 efforts to prevent the exhaustion of the wood-producing capital 

 will soon be felt in the timber markets. 



PART II. 



A. PROTECTION OF FORESTS AND FOREST LEGISLATION. 

 (a) Dangers to u'hich the Forests are exposed: 



On the Gold Coast and in tropical West Africa generally the 

 dangers threatening the existence of the forests are: 



(a.) The wasteful system of farming practised by the 

 natives. 



