18-1 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



Aloe Fibbb. — The sample weighed 7 ouuces 

 and consisted of light buff-coloured fibre, of ex- 

 cellent lustm, perfectly cleaned and prepared, 

 and of very good length (about eight feet). It 

 was quite similar to Mauritius hemp from Fiji 

 previously examined at the Imperial Institute, 

 but was longer and a little coarser. The latter 

 characteristic was probably due to the greater 

 age of the leaves from which the fibre was pre- 

 pared. The fibre was valued at about £31 per 

 ton, as compared with good average Mauritius 

 hemp at £22 10s. per ton. — Bulletin of the Im- 

 perial Institute, No. 3 of 1909. 



COCOA W THE GOLD COAST. 



The rapidity with which the cultivation of 

 cocoa has extended is most gratifying, and also 

 indicative of its suitability for this Colony. The 

 natives have taken kindly to the industry; plan- 

 tations are being extended, and we may safely 

 anticipate an increasing export for some years 

 to come. A glance at the table of exports (ap- 

 pendix I.) shows the marvellous rapidity with 

 which the industry has developed. If we go 

 back to 1895, we find the amount of cocoa ex- 

 ported was only 28,906 lb. valued at £471. The 

 introduction of cocoa to the Gold Coast only 

 dates back to about 1882 and after 26 years' culti- 

 vation the export of the product has attained a 

 total of 28,545,910 lb. in 1908. In studying these 

 figures one must not forget that this has been 

 entirely produced by native farmers, and I con- 

 sider that there; nits so far attained are highly 

 creditable to the enterprise and industry of the 

 indigenous population. The quality of the pro- 

 duct, in comparison with that of most other 

 cocoa-producing countries, is generally speaking 

 poor. There are several causes contributing 

 to this: (a.) It is an industry new to the 

 natives, and consequently they have not yet 

 been educated in the proper methods of 

 cultivation and preparation : (b) The variety 

 of tree grown ( b'orastero, amelonado variety) 

 is generally recognised to bear a second grade 

 quality of beans even when grown under the 

 most favourable conditions : (c) The natives are 

 entirely dependent on the sun for drying the 

 bessn3, and in a country like this whore the at- 

 mosphere is very humid, mould forms on the 

 beans very readily in dull weather: (d) All quali- 

 ties (with the exception of the very worst) have 

 hitherto been brought at a uniform price. 



Th® Agricultural Department is naturally 

 concerned with the improvement of the quality 

 of cocoa. Travelling Instructors have already 

 don© a lot of good work, lecturing and giving 

 practical demonstrations on the plantations ; but, 

 owing to the shortage of competent officers, 

 by no means all that could be wished has been 

 effected. The variety grown, although recog- 

 nised as yielding only a second grade quality of 

 cocoa, is hardy and very fruitful and therefore, 

 in my opinion, well suited for native cultivation. 

 A few plants of three other varieties have been 

 introduced by the Agricultural Department, but 

 the results so far obtained have not benn such 

 as would recommend their more extensive culti- 

 vation to the exclusion of that at present grown. 



I hope, however, to put down experimental 

 areas of the more important varieties at each of 

 the Agricultural stations so that this point may 

 be settled. 



That cocoa can be made to yield well in the 

 Colony is amply illustrated by the fact that on 

 the Aburi Botanic Gardens from a small area of 

 1*4:0 acres and from 259 trees planted at 15 x 15 

 feet, ayield of 18,200 pods equivalent to 15cwts. 

 of cured cocoa was procured between the 23rd 

 October and 31st December of this year. 



The quality of the soil cn which these trees 

 are growing is distinctly below the average of 

 the Colony ; but the trees have been well pruned 

 and attended to, and this may be taken to repre- 

 sent a maximum yield. It is doubtful if such re- 

 sults will often be exceeded in any cocoa growing 

 country. Further, I am informed that a consider- 

 able crop was taken in the earlier part of this year 

 of which no record was kept ; and the trees are 

 now giving promise of an early crop in 1909. 



The fermentation and drying of the beans 

 is at present receiving much attention, but 

 amongst a primitive people and with a new 

 cultivation, progress is naturally slow ; some, 

 however, sho w an intelligent interest in bettering 

 the quality and it is hoped that a consider- 

 able improvement wi'l be effected within the 

 the next few years. The fact that the merchants 

 paid a uniform rate, irrespective of quality, did 

 much to militate against such improvement. 

 Parcels of better quality were no doubt some- 

 what" scarce, and the difficulties experienced in 

 forming uniform grades of higher quality pro- 

 bably prompted the merchants to buy on a uni- 

 form principle; but as cultivation extends quality 

 improves, and transport facilities are extended 

 I have no doubt the merchants will adopt the 

 more satisfactory method of payment for quality. 

 This would no doubt tend towards improvement 

 more quickly than anything else, provided, of 

 course, that the producer reaps some benefit; for 

 in many cases middlemen, or brokers come be- 

 tween the merchants and the native farmers. 

 The greatest deterrent, in my opinion, however, 

 is transport, and I feel sure that if this in- 

 dustry is to prosper greater facilities must be 

 provided, Roads and railways are no doubt 

 costly, but now that the success of so important 

 and extensive an industry is assured, it seems 

 almost certain that they could be made to pay, 

 and would set free much labour now engaged in 

 carrying head loads, which could be employed 

 in the further development and improvement of 

 the industry.— Official Report on 1908 by W S 

 Tudiioi'E, Director of Agriculture. 



" MIMOSA PUDIGA" IN COORG. 



It has been found necessary by the Coorg 

 Administration to draw the attention of all 

 land-owners and officials to the very rapid 

 spread taking place in parts Qf the Province of 

 " a creeping, thorny weed believed to be Mimosa 

 ■pudici" said to have been imported into the 

 Province from Malabar. Measures for its ex- 

 termination are recomtnemhd, otherwise it 

 is feared that grazing grounds and other lands 

 may be ruined by the further spread of the 

 weed.— M. Mail, Oct. 20. 



