October, 1910.] 



828 



Agricultural Education, 



depend on the locality of planta- 

 tion. If under jungle conditions, the 

 shade of forest trees, etc., probably 

 Funtumia would be the most suitable ; 

 but if circumstances are favourable, 

 Pa,ra, (Hevea brasiliensis) should be re- 

 commended. Where the area is border- 

 ing on the dry or savana country, Oeara 

 (Manihot Glaziovii) and Memieku (Ficus 

 vogelii) would be more suitable. 



(&) Belts of rubber trees should, when 

 possible, be planted round cocoa planta- 

 tions, as they will eventually form a 

 protection to the cocoa trees. 



(c) The importance of not damaging 

 the cambium of the trees in tapping 

 must be taught. 



(d) The method of preparing the 

 rubber from the latex to be recom- 

 mended will depend somewhat on local 

 conditions ; but probably the '* boiling 

 and double-pot method" as being easily 

 adopted, should be that most generally 

 advised, and the rubber, preferably, 

 should be prepared in sheets and bis- 

 cuits. If pure clean rubber could be 

 produced, prices would be proportion- 

 ately higher ; and it should be pointed 

 out that there is a danger of the " stink- 

 ing stick mixture " hitherto produced in 

 the colony becoming unsaleable in a few 

 years' time. Unless the present methods 

 are altered and a better article produced, 

 the industry must inevitably suffer. 



Palm-Oil Products.' 

 4. Native travelling instructors must 

 also encourage the development of the 

 oil-palm products : 



(a) By endeavouring to prevent the 

 destruction of palms during the forma- 

 tion of cocoa plantations. 



(b) By advocating systematic culti- 

 vation even to the extent of the forma- 

 tion of plantations of the higher oil- 

 yielding varieties, such as Abobobe. 



(c) By assisting the natives with in- 

 formation as to the best methods of 

 preparation and the best machinery for 

 extracting the kernels, etc. 



Cotton and Fibres. 



The cultivation of cotton and fibre- 

 yielding crops, should be advocated. 

 Districts where the soil is good and 

 where there is a long dry season, are 

 suitable for cotton. 



Sisal hemp, Triumfetta and Hibiscus 

 fibres, might be profitably grown, and, 

 where recommended, the method of ex- 

 tracting the fibres should be demon- 

 strated. 



Endeavours should be made, where 

 possible, to extend the production ot 

 indigenous fibres, such as Piassava. 



New Economic Products. 



6. Instructors must constantly be on 

 the watch for new economic products, 

 all information relating to which should 

 be communicated to the Director of 

 Agriculture with samples and, if possi- 

 ble, botanic specimens. 



Catch Crops. 



7. In certain instances they should 

 recommend the cultivation of catch 

 crops, which should, for the most part, 

 be of the leguminous order, such as 

 ground-nuts, tiger-nuts, cowpea, pigeon- 

 pea, and native beans. In some cases 

 cotton might also be recommended as a 

 catch crop. 



Demonstration. 



8. In addition to giving these general 

 instructions with regard to the agricul- 

 tural products, it is the duty of native 

 travelling instructors to demonstrate 

 the methods which they teach, and their 

 visits must not be of such a hurried 

 nature as to preclude the performance 

 of this important branch of their duties. 

 Implements will be carried for this 

 purpose, 



General. 



9. A diary will be kept in detail, a 

 copy of which must be submitted to the 

 Director of Agriculture at the end of 

 each mouth, and, when necessary, they 

 will also submit, in addition, a brief 

 report on each tour. 



10. One of the agricultural stations 

 will be recognised head-quarters of each 

 native travelling inspector and his tours 

 will be arranged within the province in 

 which his head-quarters are situated. 



11. Instructional tours will be arrang- 

 ed by the Director of Agriculture, in 

 consultation with the provincial com- 

 missioners, and in Ashanti with the 

 chief commissioner. 



12. Native travelling instructors 

 should, whenever possible, report by 

 telegram their movements to the Direc- 

 tor of Agriculture. 



13. When native travelling instruc- 

 tors are not engaged in travelling they 

 will be attached to the various agricul- 

 tural stations, where they will assist 

 the curators in whatever work their 

 services may be required. They should 

 take full advantage of such opportu- 

 nities to note the various plants that 

 are propagated in the nurseries and the 

 supply of the same, and it should be 

 their endeavour to get all economic 

 plants (being propagated for the pur- 

 pose) taken up by the native farmers 

 within the year. Their usefulness will 

 be largely determined by their success 

 in this particular, 



