FORESTRY Of WEST AFRICA. 233 



ago covered with forest sheltering many valuable 

 timber trees, and others of doubtless much economic 

 worth, had the botanic recources of the country only 

 been somewhat developed. I may single out as an 

 example the rubber vine. 



On an occasion when I had to send to the north of 

 the Colony of Lagos I directed that inquiry should be 

 instituted as to the existence of the Landolphia 

 swariensis — the rubber-yielding vine found extensively 

 in the Gold Coast Colony — and that encouragement 

 towards its protection and development, or the proper 

 collection of its juice, should be extended. The 

 people questioned, when they understood the object 

 of the inquiry, said that the country had been full 

 of the tree, but as they knew nothing of its value, 

 it had been cleared away so as to allow of the planting 

 of corn, yam, and beans, and that the vines of the 

 Landolphia had been and are being used only for 

 matchet handles. 



In view of the market price of rubber — of much 

 demand — namely, from \s. to 4^. per lb., dependent 

 on quality and condition — I do not suppose that the 

 expression would be there accepted "Where igno- 

 rance is bliss it is a folly to be wise.'' What has 

 the Island of Lagos to say to such a state of things, 

 with its adult male population of 14,407, of whom 

 11,049 ^""s represented in the last Census as persons 

 engaged in commerce ? 



I may repeat the old adage, " A stitch in time saves 



