Nov. t, 1893.] THE TROPtCAL AGRICULTURIST. 301 
has been known for some yeirs to affoid what was 
called Indian guttapercha or Pala-guin, and has been 
used as an adulterant of Singapore gutta. General 
Cullen brought it to notice i35 years ago, and Dr. 
Cleghorn published a memorandum on the subject 
at the time. It was reported upin by experts in Lon- 
don, who found that it was unfit for water-^jroofiug 
purposes, as its solution in coal-tar and turpentine dry 
up to such a brittle consistence that the fabric is 
useless. It could be used as a birdlime or cement, 
and keeps well under water, as a cable insulator, 
especially if mixed with some genuine gutta. By boil- 
ing the milk of tho Paachotee tree, a white mass 
seperitos, which can be kneaded by the fingers, 
but which bscomes hard and biittlo wlien cold. Tho 
brittle character of this substance I find is due to a 
large porportion of a crystalline substance found also 
in true gutta, and called crystalban or alban. Crys- 
talban, according to Tayen, occurs to the extent of 
M to 19 per cent, in the best kinds of guttapercha, 
but I have extracted as much as G'.)'2 per cent, of 
crystalban from the dried secretion obtained from 
Wynaad. The presence of a large quantity of crystals 
in this gu-f , of course, would interfere with its utility, 
but crystalban is easily removed by boiling alcohol, 
and the residue consists of a very good and pure 
g .ttapercha. I cannot see why this process could 
not be used to purify the Indian gum and so obtain 
an article similar to the Malayan article." 
A note on a gum from a closely allied ijlant 
{Dirho/i-Hd ohovata, U. B. Clarke) received at Kew from 
Burma appeared in the Kew Bulletin, 1892, p. 215. 
GOLD COAST BOTANICAL STATION. 
Mr. CnowTHER to the Colonial Secbetahy. 
Botanical Station, Aburi, 1st September 1892. 
Sir, — I have the honour to submit, for the infor- 
mation of His Excellency the Governor, the report 
onthe progress and condition of the Bot anical Station 
at Aburi, for the period ending oOth June 1892, and 
also to report upon my visit to the coffee and cacao 
plantations of Blessrs. Miller Brothers and others on 
niyreturn from leave of absence in January last. 
2. I regret that there has been so much delay in 
sending in my reports, but I have had so much work 
which required iny personal attention and supervision 
that I have experienced a difficulty in sending them 
in earlier. 
:•!, I arrived at Accra in the R,M.S. " Nubia ' on 
the 8th of January, and immediately proceeded on 
board the steamship "Kinsembo" to return to Cape 
Coast, at which place I arrived at 10 p.m. on the 
11th instant. 
4. On my way to Cape Coast I noticed a small 
quantity of the Bass fibre being shipped from Appam, 
This valuable fibre is obtained from the palm which 
is so common and plentiful in this part of the colony, 
namely, Iiujiliia riuifrra. It is a very important pro- 
duct, being worth from 25/. to 60/. per ton according 
to quality. Great interest is at present shown in Eng- 
laiid in the discovery of sinular fibres to this, and 
there is a good mariiet for them, but the supply is 
very small, owing chietiy, I think, to the difficulty 
experienced in extracting and cleaning the fibre. It 
is chiefly used for brushmaking. I will make in- 
quiries and endeavour to obtain information respect- 
ing suitable machinery f r cleaning and preparing 
this fibre, which information, if I am able (o procure 
it, shall 1^0 published i'l my next report. [See Kcu) 
-JJitll'li,,, ].s9I, p 1 ] 
5. On my arrival at Cape Coast I went to see 
Mr. Batty, Messrs. Miller Brothers & Co. 's agent, 
who kindly gave me quarters for the night, an I 
the next day I proceeded to Eluiina to visit 
Mr. Hutchinson's coffee plantation. 
(i. Mr. Hctchinsoii calculates that he has about 
l.'iO acres planted with Liborum coffee, and that he 
has planted out tlO.OlK) plants. Tho trees arc in a very 
healthy and flourishing condition, and many, wbicli 
have oiily liecn ))hinted a year and a half, are a'ready 
bearing a vuiy litu: crop of coffee. The trees ou this 
plautation are in tlircu alages, viz., ist, there are a 
uuinbei-oi trees wU\vli were pluutcd iu May 1889, Xlieae 
ti-ees are about five and a half feet h'gh, ard are 
compact, bi>hy plants, bearing a spleiidd crop of 
coffee, some of which was ripening at the taue of 
my visit. 2nd. A large area was planted in May 1890 ; 
these have grown well and almost all of them are 
bearing a first crop of coffee. This speaks very well 
for the suitability of the soil and situation for coffee 
planting as in Lib'^ria and other places where this 
\aviety of coffee is grown, planters never ex(iect the 
trees to bear until they are three years old. :>rd. The 
remainder of the trees, which comprise the greater 
part of the plantation were planted in MiXy of last year, 
nnd on the whole are grovv'ng satisfactorily. Owing 
to the excessive dryness of the last si ason the mor- 
tality amongst the plants has been rather excessiv •, 
but that can b ; easily reme led by filling up the vacan- 
cies during the com'ng raaiy season with good rob.jst 
plants. 
7. The plantation is in a very creditable and flour- 
i hing condition. The work is don^ by a gang of 
70 Krooboys and the land is kept in tood order and 
free from weeds. Mr. Hutchinson feems to thoroughly 
understand the work, and has every contideuce in 
the ultimate success of the undertaking. 
8. The next morning, on my way from Elmina to 
Messr=. Miller Brothers, plantation at Kuby Kul, I 
was asked to visit a coffee plantation belonging to 
Blr. Ter Meulen, who accompanied me himself. 
9. This plantation is about 25 seres in extent and 
consists of about 5,000 plants, all of which look very 
he'ilthy. Many of the trees, which a e about three 
years cf ag ■, ars bearing au immense crop of coffee 
Rnd others of two years' gr.'wth are also bearing. 
Mr. Ter Meulen informed me ihat he had been un- 
able t I personally .niperinteud his plan' a' ion as much 
as he would have liked, and consequently it had been 
rather neglected. 
10. After spending an hour cr two going over tte 
plautation and directing Mr. Ter Meulen as to the 
best means of carrying on the work, I proceeded on 
my way to Messrs. Miller Brothers' plautationat Kuby 
Kul, where I arrived nt 12-30 a.m. 
1 1 . Mr. Ter Meulen proposes 1 1 extend his coffee 
plantation very considerably, and is now raiding a large 
quantity of young pi mts for that purpose. He is very 
energetic about the matter and very .^i.nguine as to 
the results. 
1'?. Mr. Batty met me at Kuby Kul, and aft' r 
resting a s' ort tim", I cocnnience I to go over this 
pliDtation ahmi; with him. I should calculate that 
the area of this plantation is between 130 and 1.50 
acres in extent. The 1 lud is undulating an J the soil 
a black mould and very rich, and I should say remaik- 
ably well adapted for the cultivation of coff.;e ^nd c icao. 
The trees 1 ere re much more luxuri-int in growth 
than those at the other plantations mentioned. This 
may be accounted for by the extra rainfall and huoii- 
dity experienced here. 
13. Mr. Bit'y has p'anted bis coffee p' ants II feet 
apart, which, considering the grouth they have al- 
ready made, doe J not seem too nnich. The grawth 
of some of 'he trees on ibis plantation is nlmost 
incredib'e. Many of them have grown as much as 
five feet in one year, and the foliage is of a great 
size and most luxuriant. 
11. Besides coffee, Mr. Batly has also planted cacao 
on an extensive scale. This valuable product seems 
to thrive equally as woU as coffee, the plants which 
I saw been in a healthy and flourishing condition, 
especially tho onestuppli' dfrom the Botanical Station 
at Aburi during the previous year. The cacao is 
planted at distances of 13 feet apart and shaded with 
plantains anl bananaS; which answer the purpose 
admirably, 
15. Tobacco was also being trie! by ^[r. Batty. 
He had about 2,500 plant) each of the Havana aiid 
Sumatra varieties. They were wcll-grown plants, 
with enormous leaves of a good texture, and if tho 
operation of curing has been successful should pro- 
duce a good nnirketablc article. 
1(). After my^ visit to the Cape Coast district I 
returned to Accra and proceeded to Aburi, whert I 
arrived on the 22ud January. 
17- Qa luy au'ivtvl I uvuimea«ei} at ouc« (9 «1«<U| 
