June 1907.] 



351 



OILS AND FATS. 



THE AFRICAN OIL-PALM. 



The African Oil-palm is an abundant plant almost all over tropical Africa 

 and has thence been distributed all over the world, and grows and thrives in all 

 parts of the tropics. It is very common in cultivation in Singapore as an ornamental 

 plant, as it grows very readily and well and fruits regularly. Its fruits produce the 

 oil known as Palm-oil, which is exported extensively from Africa, but of which no 

 use is made in Eastern Asia. There is no reason for its not being cultivated for profit 

 as it gives a good return in Africa at little expense, and Dr. Preuss, who knows the 

 plant well in the German African Colonies where it is an important article of trade 

 was surprised on seeing how well and quickly this plant grew in Singapore, that it 

 was not cultivated for profit, as he affirmed it was a more valuable palm than even 

 the coconut. 



An attempt to introduce the cultivation into Labuan was made by Dr. (now 

 Sir) Joseph Hooker in 1876. Mr. Treacher was then Governor of Labuan, and took 

 much interest in the idea. The island of Daat was selected as a suitable locality and 

 seeds were sent from which 700 plants were raised which throve well and fruited* 

 but ten years later were removed to make room for coconuts. (Kew Bulletin 

 1889, p. 259.) 



The plant has long been cultivated in Singapore. It was in the Botanic 

 Gardens in 1895, and is to be seen in almost all private grounds. In Central and 

 Western Africa it is one of the most important economic plants and as Dr. Preuss 

 says it is the only plant in the world which can with the least possible care, and 

 without diminution of crop furnish a rich harvest for many decades. The annual 

 export of Palm-oil and kernels from Africa is valued at 50 million marks. 



Cultivation. 



The Oil-palm is raised from seed, which can be soavu in beds, and later planted 

 out, when they are about a foot tall. They should be planted not less than twenty 

 feet apart. The soil it prefers is damp semi-marshy soil (S. Preeling in Kew Bulletin 

 1889, p. 262), where water however, does not stand. In arid dry soil it becomes 

 stumpy and grows very slowly sometimes bearing at four feet, instead of develop- 

 ing to 10 or 12 feet in height. This account of the plant as it grows in Lagos is quite 

 confirmed by its habits here. In stiff clay it makes hardly any growth. Plants 

 grown in the gardens in this situation have in 18 years or more not made a stem 

 more than 2 feet tall while trees planted at the same date in a lower and damper 

 spot are magnificent trees of 20 feet tall. The biggest or rather tallest one in the 

 gardens, forty feet tall, is growing in damp ground with the sago palms. It may be 

 about thirty years of age. One planted by the edge of the lake where it has much 

 water but not stagnant water at its roots, has only attained since 1897, a height of 

 2 feet, but it fruits heavily. 



There is some advantage in having the tree not too tall, as it is easier to 

 gather the nubs and to protect them too from squirrels which are very partial to 

 them. The palm does not seem to possess many enemies. A species,. of Rhyn- 

 chophorus attacks it in Africa but according to Dr, Preuss, does not do much harm, 

 I ha^te never known the common coconut Rhynchophorus nor the larger species 

 attack it. 



The tree begins to fruit about 5th and 6th year, and is said to last in bearing 

 for 60 years or more, and produces three or four more rarely five or as many as seven, 

 bunches of fruit in the year, There seems to be some variation in the returns in. 



