164 
It is undoubtedly possible that the Orthezia may have reached Ceylon 
by way of Kew. It is not, however, very probable, and the reverse 
may just as well have been the cas It exists in the public Ve cmm 
owever, from which plants are tibt drawn for exportation. m plan 
in the propagating houses from which distribution is made per 
scrupulously clean, and every precaution is taken to send them m free 
from taint of any sort or kind. 
iger Coast Protectorate.—In a Report on the Administration of 
the Niger Coast Protectorate, presented to the Foreign Office, for the 
years 1891-94, pp. 5 and 6, Sir Claude MacDonald, 'K.C.M .G., gives 
the A interesting account of the efforts made to establish a 
c Station and develop the resources of the extensive territory 
under "his charge :— 
“ Tt will be seen on perusing my brief remarks on the subject of the 
trade of pe district, that the principal, and, by comparison, the only 
article of € “is derived from the fruit of the palm tree Kiwis 
uineensis. «E have frequently pointed this out to the native trader, and 
fe endeavoured to rouse him to the fact that his country produces 
“other articles — from a commereial point of view, are more valuable 
even than | The oo trader is, however, difficult to move and 
very conservative. What was gocd enough for his father is good 
enough for him. There are, however, some notable exceptions to this 
rule, and one or two of the native chiefs are waking up to the advan- 
tages of trading in articles other than palm oil. To the end that every 
encouragement may be given to the cultivation and collection of various 
natural products, a botanic station has been started at Old Calabar. I 
enclose - by V 
Ir. Horace Billington, Curator of the Devan 
she work has been done on the station, as also a report by hi 
“on the emer of the im lying to the eastward of the Old Calabar 
River, and a similar report of the banks of the Cross Ri y 
phe Mr. Billington has drawn up a very useful little possis" 
whi s been translated into Efik, the native language o “alabar, 
and distributed gratis to the chiefs in this river, and to some in the others, 
giring useful rules and hints respecting the growing of puru and cacao. 
o po puces ue this industry, free gifts of young c 
made to chiefs who will clear the ground for their See, and as 
the plar does not bear until its fourth year, a small grant is made 
yearly for each plant alive and healthy at the end of the third year. 
When the plant begins to bear the grant Eus aud the plant then 
becomes the property of the planter, and begins to pay for itself. The 
export of coffee from the Protectorate was in sie first year of the new 
rt 
"of cacao in the ear was 21,760 lbs.; and in the second year 
- 51,299 De. When, dene the natives begin to learn the lessons 
taught by the botanic garden, I anticipate a large increase in the 
of this as se as other and new products. It will be seen in the 
~ Curator's Report that the garden has been visited by pem native 
"chiefs, who have shown an intelligent interest in the e, Mr. 
: Ene pe is a most enthusiastic and painstaking official," 
