84 FORESTRY OF WEST AFRICA. 



development of the rubber trade, now remarkable by- 

 its absence as regards the Gold Coast Colony.* 



" The importance of the encouragement of the pro- 

 motion of fresh industries other than, I may say, 

 the main and sole one of palm-oil, apart from the 

 economic advantages of rubber in connection with 

 the many and useful purposes to which it is now 

 applied, must be my apology. 



" In June last, I had collected some specimens of the 

 tree Landolphia owariensis, which I forwarded to 

 the Royal Gardens, Kew. This tree is no doubt to 

 be found everywhere in the Colony ; but I can 

 personally bear testimony to the fact that it grows 

 extensively in the countries of Akim, Aquapim and 

 Croboe. 



" I may remark that the present commercial sources 

 of African Caoutchouc belong principally to the genus 

 Landolphia. 



"Landolphia owariensis, the species from which 

 specimens I allude to were obtained, is a climbing 

 plant with a stem four to six inches in diameter near 

 the ground, but dividing above, climbing along stems 

 and branches of neighbouring trees, supporting itself 

 by a kind of tendril formed of the flower-stalk after 

 the fruit has fallen. 



" The fruit is about the size of an ordinary orange, 

 perhaps a little smaller, with a reddish-brown woody 



* Prior to 1886 Lagos formed part of this Colony, under 

 Charter of 24 July, 1874. 



