739 



in certain parts of the coast. The petioles are used as torches; 

 but the writer only saw them used once, when natives ht the 

 way with them for about two hours on the way to Insofan 

 (Jan. 19th, 1900), full length petioles being used. 



Some particulars of the varieties of this palm were given in 

 Kew Bulletin 1909, pp. 33-49 and the economic uses especially 

 v/ere dealt with in the same year, pp. 161-184, based on reports 

 received from the various Colonies in West Africa. Cultural 

 experiments in Nigeria, Cameroons, Gold Coast, Seychelles, etc., 

 go to show that nothing very definite can be said of them as they 

 do not always come true from seed — this seems particularly 

 remarkable in the thin-shelled variety, " Opearunfo " (Yoruba) 

 *' Abo-bo-be '' (Gold Coast), or " Lisombe '' (Cameroons), which, 

 in many instances, has produced ordinary thick-shelled seed 

 [see the Annual Reports Dept. of jxA.griculture Nigeria, Gold Coast, 

 Seychelles, Malaya, etc., and Kew Bull, 1920, pp. 119-205, 

 where the subject is discussed]. 



In general the Oil Palm is comparatively easy to cultivate. 

 In addition to a plentiful supply of fresh nuts, seedlings, a few 

 indies in height are common enough beneath the old trees and 

 selected plants grown on in nurseries may be transplanted at the 

 beginning of the wet season, when about 1-3 ft. high, or, say, 

 about 1-2 years old for preference, and may be up to 3 or 4 years 

 old. The number allowed for an acre may be 109 (20 X 20 ft. 

 apart) or 69 (25 x 25 ft. apart). In the Cameroons, where 

 plantations exist in the mountain area, the Upper Cross River 

 and in regions near the Coast about 80 to the acre is recommended 

 (Kew Bull. 1919, p. 198). A good rainfall— 50-100 inches and 

 rich soil would appear to be desirable as very fine specimens are 



commonly 



Mang 



but some well-developed trees may also be observed in com- 

 paratively poor soil. Situations that suit " cocoa ** {Theohroma 

 Cacao) v/ould also suit the '' Oil Palm " wliich has already been 

 mentioned {see p. 98) as a shade-tree. The trees begin to come 

 into substantial bearing when 8 or 10 years old, up to which time 

 the trunk — often 50 ft. high and upwards in aged specimens — 

 may show httle or no signs of development, though the leaves, 



0-15 



Nothin 



yield 



stage. Having regard to its importance for food, the Natives 

 sometimes give this palm preferential treatment in the neighbour- 

 hood of villages and farms, but as a rule, they depend upon 

 *' bush '* or wild sources. From a one-acre enclosure of uild 

 palms containing 44 fruit-bearing trees (one thin-sheUed variety) 

 the fruit collected during each month of the year (1917) 

 amounted to 290 bunches, giving 3652 lb. of fruit. The weight 

 of oil extracted from a certain number of fruits treated was 

 7' 14 per cent, and the general conclusion was that this acre of 

 wild palms yielded 261 lb. of pericarp oil and 497 lb. of kernels 

 (Johnson, Ann. Rep. Agric. Dept. S. Prov. Nigeria, 1917, p. 8). 



