162 NIGERIA- NORTHERN PROVINCES 



ings, ashes, and cattle-shed refuse is always applied, 

 and the crop consists of leaves of all sizes and ages stripped 

 from the plant at the same time. 



The preparation of the tobacco usually consists in 

 drying the leaves spread upon mats or upon sand in the 

 sun. When flaccid they are twisted into ropes or plaits 

 in the form in which they are afterwards sold, or they 

 are completely dried and pounded up. In Ilorin an 

 attempt has been made to prepare the leaves tied up 

 in flat bundles, and this method has more recently been 

 tried at the Baro prison farm, but the previous curing 

 has generally proved inefficient and requires more 

 attention. It is unlikely that tobacco fit for export 

 will be produced except under expert guidance. 



MISCELLANEOUS. Beeswax. Bees are kept in 

 many of the large villages, and are seen in hives placed in 

 trees near the large towns in Kano and Zaria especially. 

 Honey is employed in the country as a substitute for 

 sugar. The wax is not greatly valued, and is frequently 

 thrown away, although it seems to be of fair quality. 



Locust Bean. The tree which furnishes the well- 

 known locust bean (Parkia filicoidea) is called " Dorowa " 

 by the Haussas. The beans, which are produced in 

 clusters, contain a sweet-tasting yellow flour-like sub- 

 stance, which is used for making a beverage. In this 

 flour-like substance the flattened seeds are placed, and 

 these are greatly appreciated for making into cakes, in 

 the process of which they are boiled and apparently 

 decomposed. The empty pods of the bean are boiled 

 and used for making a strong cement used in flooring, 

 etc. The pods have been examined at the Imperial 

 Institute, and appear to be unsuitable for export as a 

 feeding-stuff owing to their fibrous nature (see Report 

 by Professor Dunstan on " Cotton, Gum, and Other 

 Economic Products from Northern Nigeria " (Cd. 2778 

 [1905]), p. 21). Fig. 30 shows a locust bean tree in Ilorin. 



Date Palms (Phoenix dactylifera) and the fruit of the 

 Run palm (Borassus flabellifer), " Giginia "(Haussa).are 

 used for food and are sometimes sold in the markets 

 towards the south, being commonly seen in Kano. 



CATTLE. Large numbers of cattle are moved about 

 through the country north of the llth degree, where the 

 tsetse fly does not appear to occur. The " Cow Fulani " 



