196 
pursued by the loeal Governments, is expressed in favour of giving more 
: : il. Botanical stations 
he 
present Governors of our West African possessions are keenly alive to 
the desirability of directing attention to the development of agricultural 
industries, and at no time, possibly, in recent years have these possessions 
ived ttention in thi try than at present. For this awakened 
interest we are indebted to Sir Alfred M oloney, K.C.M.G., Governor of 
Lagos; Si dford Griffith, K.C.M.G., Governor of the Gold Coast ; 
Sir James Shaw Hay, K.C.M.G., Governor of Sierra Leone ; and Mr, 
T. Gilbert Carter, C.M.G., Administrator of the Gambia. These 
officers, it is needless to say, have fully realised the importance of 
encouraging agricultural enterprises, and taken a leading part in the 
eps necessary for directing attention to them. x. 
Sir Alfred Moloney published in 1887 a * Sketch of the Forestry of 
* West Africa, with particular reference to its Principal Commercial 
“ Products.” In this work all available information has been brought 
As irequent inquiry is made at Kew in regard to plants likely to 
. flourish in West Africa, the following Memorandum, prepared, i 
first instance, for the. Royal Niger Company, is now published in an 
expanded form for the information of those interested in our West 
African possessi (VLA 46 : 
MEMORANDUM on the EXPERIMENTAL CULTIVATION of Economic 
TS in West AFRICA. 
has not yet been carried on, to show what is really suitable to the soil 
and climate, should include rst a large number of economic plants, 
for the purpose X testing those which afford the best prospect of g 
adapted to local circumstances. "The reports which have already reached 
Kew from this region, and especially from the botanical stations at 
Lagos, the Gold ( and the Gambia, show that many useful plants 
could be grown there will in time be in a position to 
here all the year round and entire freedom from droughts are evidently 
not suited to many parts of West Africa. The prolonged drought 
Many of the ordinary tropica 
l 
