104 FORESTRY OF WEST AFRICA. 



Q. At what age does the tree commence to give a 

 crop? 



A. The smaller variety referred to above begins to 

 bear at eighteen months ; but the ordinary time for 

 the larger variety is in the third year. Some plants 

 of this kind, however, have been known to bear 

 sooner. The first crop is generally only a few berries ; 

 but the tree goes on increasing until it becomes 

 capable of yielding twenty pounds — we have heard of 

 trees giving twenty-four pounds each ; these are very 

 old trees — more generally depends upon cultivation 

 than upon age. 



Q. To what height does the tree eventually grow, 

 and are the trees in the best plantations allowed to 

 reach their full height, or are they kept low for the 

 convenience of gathering the ripe berries, or for other 

 reasons connected with cultivation .'' 



A. The tree grows to a height of twenty feet or 

 more. We have seen one more than thirty feet in 

 height, this was in the woods near an old plantation. 

 Some cultivators top their trees, others let them grow 

 up ad libitum. Our trees are topped at a height of 

 five feet. Trees that are topped are more conveniently 

 picked, and, other things being equal, give a larger 

 crop. When the trees grow up tall, moreover, they 

 are frequently injured by climbing with ladders, and 

 pulling down the limbs, &c. ; and as the tree ripens 

 its crop and blossoms for the next year at the same 

 time, much of the blossoms and young fruit is rubbed 



