and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



461 



crop amounted in 1906 to 1,174 tons and the 

 value of the export to £57,230. In 1907 thecrop 

 increased to 1,587, tons and in 1908 was still 

 larger; the exports in the latter year attained 

 the value of £147,000. 



The cocoa industry has also made remarkable 

 progress in Togoland,and the natives are taking 

 an increased interest in it. The cultivation is 

 almost entirely confined to the Misahohe district. 

 Experiments in the Atakpame district have 

 shown definitely that this region is unsuited for 

 cocoa growing. The Government are doing a 

 great deal to foster the industry in the inte- 

 rests of the natives and have distributed seed 

 and young plants. There is 



ONLY ONE EUROPEAN UNDERTAKING 



engaged in cocoa planting and this has 222 

 acres under cultivation ; the yield from this 

 plantation amounted to 1,951 lb. in 190(i, and 

 6,172 lb. in 1907. The exports of cocoa have 

 increased from year to year as follows : — In 1904 

 209 cwts. of value £436 16s ; in 19U5, 258 cwts. 

 of value £475 18s ; in 1906, 564 cwts. of value 

 £1,078 16s; and in 1907. 1,028 cwts. of value 

 £2,496 9s. 



The cultivation in Samoa is extending from 

 year to year aud is in a very promising con- 

 dition. In 1907-8, 3,508 acres were under cocoa ; 

 684,032 trees wore growing, of which 280,990 

 were in bearing. Although unfavourable wea- 

 ther was experienced in the autumn of 1907, the 

 exports nevertheless rose from 90 to 117 tons. 

 The exports for 1908 were expected to show a 

 still further increase. The cocoa trees have 

 hitherto been free from disease and appear 

 strong and healthy. The planting companies 

 consider that an average yield of 450 lb per acre 

 can be obtained from the older plantations. 

 Both the "Criollo" and "Forastero " trees have 

 proved satisfactory. 



Since the cocoa industry demands special 

 agricultural work for which the natives of 

 Samoa are not well fitted, it has been considered 

 necessary to have recourse to imported labour ; 

 in January 1908 more than 1,000 Chinese coolies 

 were employed on the plantations. The Chi- 

 nese work, on the whole, well and carefully and 

 are skilled in the finer branches of agriculture 

 such as aro involved in cocoa cultivation. Un- 

 fortunately, however, the coolies who have 

 hitherto reached Samoa are not of the best type 

 but it is hoped that a better class will be forth- 

 coming. Owing to complaints which have ap- 

 peared in the Chinese newspapers, the Chinese 

 Goverment have been urged to prohibit the 

 exportation and a 



CHINESE COMMISSIONER HAS BEEN SENI 



to Samoa to inquire into the labour conditions. 



In German New Guinea the cocoa industry is 

 still in its infancy. In the year 1907-8, 404 acres 

 were under cultivation. The plantations con- 

 tained 78,945 trees, of which only 2,975 were 

 then in bearing. The exports in 1907-8 amounted 

 to 1,025 lb. Thereare many difficulties to be ovor- 

 come, such as the occurrence and spread of the 

 deep-rooted and tenacious alang-alang grass 

 and the attack of insect pests. In spite of these 

 draw-backs, however, vigorous efforts are being 

 made to establish the industry securely.— Im- 

 perial Institute Bulletin. 



COCONUTS IN JAMAICA. 



The following reporc has been made to the 

 Director of Agriculture, date 28th June, 19 9 : — 



I have carefully examined the coconut trees 

 on the coast of Portland, and there would appear 

 to be little disease in the western part of the 

 parish, the disease or disoases increasing as one 

 goes east, The troubles most prevalent are 



"SHRIVELLED TOP," "BUD ROl" AND 

 " WEEVILS." 



These must be kept distinct from troubles 

 caused by trees being planted in unsuitable land 

 or situations, lack of cultivation, stifled by 

 climbing weeds, etc. The situation is practically 

 identical with that in the western end of Jamica 

 in 1900 ; the remedy will have to be the same. 

 The first thing is cleanliness,thesecond thing is 

 cleanliness. "Shrivelled top" may be microbic or 

 fungoid, but that want of air and excessive mois- 

 ture helps to spread the disease there is nodoubt 

 whatever. There is also no doubt that the dis- 

 ease spreads from one tree to another or to many 

 others, and carelessness in leaving one diseased 

 tree untreated, means the death of many others. 

 " Bud rot," too, is as yet undetermined, but the 

 fact that it is a disease very liable to spread from 

 one tree to another if steps are not taken to pre- 

 vent it, is equally well established. The symp- 

 toms of " weevils " attacking trees are so easy to 

 discover that the most unobservant can oasily 

 note the reddish " water " running from tho 

 stems of the trees, and be ready to put the pre- 

 ventive measures in force at ouce. The watch- 

 word in dealing with all the troubles should be 

 prevention. Any trees observed to be below par, 

 not "cleaning," i.e., the dead leaves sticking on 

 to the trees instead of dropping clean off, should 

 be " signed, 1 ' i.e., fire set to the "strainer "on a 

 nice, dry day, which has the effect of caus- 

 ing the dead leaves to fall clean off, destroy- 

 ing dead strainer and allowing the chief 

 enemies of disease, sun and air, to have 

 access to the stems of the trees and do their 

 share of the preventive work. Care should bo 

 taken to 



PREVENT CLIMBING WEEDS OF ALL KINDS 



from infesting the trees. This would appear 

 to be at present the only really practical method 

 of dealing with both "shrivelled top" 

 and bud-rot. It is not advocated as a cure for 

 bud-rod, but a preventive measure. In the 

 early stages of " shrivelled top," it would ap- 

 pear to be a cure, as it certainly is a sure 

 preventive. The great thing is not to wait for 

 symptoms, but immediately there is a tree seen 

 to be unthrifty to treat it with fire ; many of 

 these unthrifty trees drag along for years giving 

 no returns, finally developing some disease which 

 they spread to other and profitable trees ; clean- 

 sing with fire at any rate prevents this. Clean- 

 liness in a coconut walk is the surest preventive of 

 the spread of diseases. Destruction by "weevils" 

 has not as yet assumed serious proportions, but 

 it is on the increase, and the ignorance in dealing 

 with it is demonstrated in this parish, as I have 

 lately observed trees being signed at tho top as 

 a cure for borers at the bottom. 



On first observing signs of borers, i.e., the 

 reddish " water " running from the stems, apply 

 to the stems of the trees a good coating of tar 



