

15 
Extract from a DespatcH from Mr. F. M. Hopeson, Colonial 
Secretary of the Gold Coast, to Lorp Kwnurtsrorp. Dated 
November 9, 1891. No. 345. 
2. The Botanical. Station has, I find, been suffering from an unpre- 
cedented dearth of rain, the season having been drier since the cessation 
of the heavy rains in July than for many years past. Mr. Eyre, the 
the want of rain. The coffee and cocoa plants looked healthy, the 
former more especially so, the soil per apparently well adopted for 
coffee cultivation. There is also a large quantity of Arnotta dye 
plants the seeds of which are now e for gathering. 
3. At present a only nar a for plants on the part of the natives 
is for coffee p and ther no doubt kan ai that the ye: in 
‘aan an A robo are beginning to plant coffee in earnest as a means 
of ‘he Botanical Sta 
my journey to o Kr obo, I was particularly struck with the large 
Biber of small cotfee plantations along both sides of the road, none o 



f preaching 
ople who at certain periods of the year migrate from the villages to 
their farms with all their families. 
all-round price of sixpence per pound is obtainable in Accra 
5 
_ by the natives for their coffee. At present the coffee thus purchased by 
. the merchants is used for re-sale in the colony, but it is doubtful 
"whether, when the supply more than equals the local demand, the 
Biia v will give the same price. The price will then, I think, depend 
a great extent upon the preparation of the coffee for sule in the 
London market, and it may become a question whether the Government 
_ Should nofgive some practical decise to the natives as to the best 
manner z preparing the bean 
very gratifying to i that the establishment of the Botanical 
ee Station should already have had such good practical results in the matter 
of coffee cultivation. 
x 
* * * 
= 17. I took with me in my journey through Brome Sse and Krobo a 
esd Prid of Egyptian cotton seed, some of which I gave to King 
Kwamin Fori of t es ormer country who stated that he would have it 
plant ted y some n ground, and the remainder I gave to the 
rict Conana to disin Dnie 3 in Krepi, where there are numerous 
vara cotton plantations, and where it will be of more use, as the 
eople ro e turning their attention to coffee, and should | 
not at present in my opinion be drawn away from it to another | 
industry. 



