58 



In India, as a dye it is sometimes used in combination with the 

 red powder of Mallotus philippinensis, producing a deep orange 

 red (Diet. Econ. Prod. Ind.). 



For colouring food-stuffs the Annatto has to undergo special 

 preparation in order to make it perfectly pure and harmless. 



The cultivation is comparatively easy, a temperature of about 

 75° F. with an abundant rainfall being required. It succeeds in 

 almost any well-drained soil, in moist, warm situations, from sea- 

 level to an altitude of about 2,000 feet. It has been grown 

 successfully in the Botanic Garden at Old Calabar, at Abutshi 

 (Woodruff, Rep. to Roy. Niger Co., Nov. 30th, 1889), and at Lagos 

 where it has established itself with little or no cultivation 

 (McNair, Kew Bull. 1890, p. 162). 



Plants are easily raised from seed, which may either be sown in 

 nursery beds, and transplanted when about 6 inches high, or 

 sown in permanent places ; the distance apart of plants in 

 permanent situations would be approximately 15 feet. Judicious 

 pruning is advisable to keep the plants bushy and to ensure a 

 continuous supply of flowers and seed. It would probably be 

 sufficient, when gathering the ripe fruits, to cut off a portion of 

 each branch at the same time. The plants begin to bear seed 

 when about two years old and continue prolific for several years. 

 It has been estimated that one acre will produce 5 cwt. and 

 upwards of seed, and that one pound of seed will yield approxi- 

 mately 1-5 ozs. of dye (Agric. Ledg. No. 12, 1904, p. 178). 



The handsome appearance of the shrub makes it a desirable 

 subject for ornamental purposes, and especially as a hedge plant, 

 since cattle and goats are said not to eat the leaves. 



The price of Annatto on the London market varies from 

 Is. to 2s. per lb., and of Annatto seeds 4|<1 to Qd. per lb. A 

 sample of seed grown at Onitsha was recently valued in London 

 at about bd. per lb. The cultivation is worthy of little or no 

 extension since competition with other sources does not appear 

 to be advisable. 



The demand for the commodity is more or less stationary and 

 has always been distinctly limited. 



Details of preparation of the dye and full particulars will be 

 found in the following papers. 



Be/.— Kew Bull. No. 7, 1887, pp. 1-8.— No. 9, 1887, pp. 1-4.— 

 No. 43, 1890, pp. 141-144.— Diet. Econ. Prod. Ind.i.pp, 454-457.— 

 " Rocou " in Les Drogues Simples d'origine vegetale, Planchon & 

 Collin, 1896, ii. pp. 786-788.—" The Annatto Dye Plant," I. H. 

 Burkill in Agric. Ledg. No. 12, 1904, pp. 177-187.—" Cultivation 

 and Utilisation of Annatto " in Bull. Imp. Inst. 1908, pp. 171- 

 174. 



ONCOBA, Forsk. 

 Oncoba spinosa, Forsk. ; Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 115. 



HI— Guillem. Perr. Rich. Fl. Senegamb. t. 10 ; Lam. Encycl. 

 t. 471 ; Harvey, Thes. Cap. ii. t. 142, 



Vernac. name.— Shauga (Yoruba, Millsori). 



