148 
3, It has always seemed to me that the question of agriculture is the 
one of all others to whichan Administrator of the Gambia should prin- 
cipally devote himself, if the material prospects of the country are to 
ed beyond n ine whi 
Fer whieh the Gambia has been practieally dependent for so long, or 
o add to the list of exports, which to any appreciable extent would 
influene the revenue of the Colony. 
4.‘ cieda severe lesson which we have lately received ought at any 
rat i ss upon us the gravity of the situation, and it was with a 
estimates for 1889 in order that a start might be made to show whether 
the future of the Colony is or is not to be bound up in the inevitable 
ground-nut. 
5. It is certain that nothing can be done without the initiative of the 
Government. At the present moment there is no mercantile establish- 
ment in the Colony in a position to sink capital in such a venture, and 
m nee fr 
apii of the hirek would be of a very limited character. 
There are, I admit, many serious difficulties in the way of developing 
es of the b it i i 
in führt which amd a supply which te not more or less brackish, 
hus very seriously militating against the growth of many plants on the 
island itself. On the mainland ‘of Barra and Combo the same difficulty 
exists, but there are certain spots where a permanent supply of good 
fresh water is to be obtained, and if the Colony were in a position to 
establish a Botanical Garden in one of those localities, and to maintain 
i am quite sure mu 
direction would be well laid out. Another difficulty arises from the 
oe small rainfall of this district, whereas only 500 miles 
o the southward there is a rainfall of sometimes over 200 inches, in the 
Gambia it rarely exceeds 50 inches, and there is toad eight months 
drought. -- may be readily understood, such climatie conditions are 
ry o many vegetable products otlari ud to tropical life. 
Nirai there are many valuable plants which po aE even under 
Aen cireumstances, and the problem is to find and utilise them. J am 
very sanguine that one of these plants has been found in the Lm rubber 
` tree (Manihot Glaziovii). AM the seedlings which I have raised are 
growing vigorously, and I have beh $c all the seeds pro- 
eurable from last year's bearing, and intend to distribute them in 
favourable localities for planting d luring «e next rainy season; as the 
plants grow one readily from slips, I shall also raise trees where 
bi ict by these means. 
6. The whole of the Government House grounds have now been 
of the cocoa-nuts which I planted in August last 
bee commenced to shoot, 4 am economising the 3007. as much as 
