COFFEE, INDIGO, AND FRUIT 39 



were made, show that the conditions in respect to distribu- 

 tion of rainfall, humidity and temperature are un- 

 favourable there. Many attempts have been made in 

 other localities, but only in Northern Sherbro has there 

 been any appreciable success. The soil in this locality 

 is deep and is kept in good tilth by the Gallinas. The 

 price obtained locally for their cocoa beans was, in 1913, 

 from 3d. to 4d. per Ib. ; in 1914 there was an increase in 

 the number of plants put out, as the price rose in that year 

 to 6d. per Ib. A sample of native cocoa was submitted to 

 the Imperial Institute for examination and report in 1916, 

 and was found to be incompletely fermented with a rather 

 harsh flavour. The trade valuation, however, was equal 

 to the standard price ruling for Accra beans at the same 

 time (cf. Butt. Imp. Inst., 1916, p. 589). Although the 

 outlook for Northern Sherbro is promising, cocoa cannot 

 attain much success in the country generally, on account 

 of unsuitable climatic conditions and general ineptitude 

 of most of the native tribes. 



COFFEE. A few years ago coffee was grown in the 

 Colony for export, the indigenous variety, Coffea steno- 

 phylla as well as G. Liberica being planted. The former 

 bears a very small berry and yields an excellent, strong- 

 flavoured beverage. The latter is better known and has 

 a large berry. Throughout the hill villages of the Colony 

 a great number of trees are seen, but, owing to a fall 

 in the price of the product, most of the crop remains 

 unpicked, although it should not prove unremunerative 

 even at the present prices to continue the export. 



INDIGO. Species of Indigofera and a scandent shrub, 

 Lonchocarpus cyanescens, or " Gara " (Mendi), are used 

 for the extraction of the blue dyes commonly employed 

 in the country. The leaves of the latter plant are said 

 to be in such demand that a quantity is annually 

 imported from Southern Nigeria. A description of the 

 method of dyeing with " Gara," and an explanation of 

 the process, are given in the Bulletin of the Imperial 

 Institute, vol. v. (1907), p. 129. 



FRUIT. Some parts of the Colony seem favourable for 

 the cultivation of various tropical fruits, such as bananas, 

 oranges, mangoes, and pineapples, and it is possible that 

 the proximity of Sierra Leone to European ports might 

 enable some of these to be grown for export. 



