THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Oct. i, 1894. 
The mean temperature on the coast is about 83°. On 
tha higher lauds it is somewhat less, and a* Abnri it 
is about 78°. The rainfall varies from about 40 to 50 
inches in some district? on the coast, to 70 or 80 inches 
in the bills. Tbe soil in almost a'l parts of the Colony 
is exception\lly rioh, and, as by far the greater portion 
of it has not been under cultivation, almost all tropical 
plants grow most luxuriantly. 
Coffee. — For more than 40 years Coff < e has been 
grown on the Aquapim Hill*, and during the last few 
yearsit has been planted extensively in otber parts of 
the Colony. Tbe coffee first planted wa< Arabian, an J 
was introduced into tha Colony from ti e We>-t Indies 
bv the Basle Mission ; that ojo*t extensively grown at 
the, present time is the Liberiau Coffee. It is much 
more writable for the lower lands, and will tbrite iu 
almost nny part of the Colony, wherens the Ar»b ; an 
Coffee will only grow satisfactorily on the hills. The 
cultivation of coffee should be extended as much a* 
possible, as I think it will be of enormous adva> tagc 
to the Colony. The work is very simple, and is such 
as the native likes aud is quite citable of doing. 
Since the husking of tbe coffee can now be done in 
E> gland at a lower price than it would be possib'e to 
do it f r in the Colonies, the only machiuery required 
is a " Pulper." 
At the Botanical Station at Ahuri there is an area 
of about 20 acres of L berian coffee wh ch is just 
beginning to bear. At no very distant i ate it will 
be necessary to obtain a " Pu'per," and the ore made 
by Messrs. J. Gordon and Company — a ep' cimi n of 
which I (aw at tbe Botanical Gardens at Trinidad — 
will be the most suitable. Since my return from 
the West Indies I have visited Messrs. Gordon's estah- 
lishment, and have obtained all information and parti- 
cu'ars in connection wi h the various Coffee Pulp«rs. 
Cacao. — This is another very important product, 
which might be oultivat»d with prufit and to tbe ad- 
vantigeof the Gold Coast Co'ony. When once it is 
started the cultivation is easy, and as the prep '.ra- 
tion of it is also simple, it should be taken up with 
energy by tbe natives. A considerable nutnbrr of 
plants have been sold to them from time to time by 
tliH Botanical Station, and now that tbe trees are be- 
ginning to tear they nufortunatel) do not fcnow how to 
pepare the beans for exportation. As, however, it will 
shortly be nee s ary to bui d a small Drjint-H n-o for 
the use ol the Botauical Station, practical le;sons in 
the curirg of cacao might be given to the natives, and 
when the hoi se i< i ot being U'ed bv the station, it 
might te placed at their disposal for the purpo-e of 
drying their own cacao. The cacao plant grows well 
in ibe ColoDy and comes into b' aring earlier than iu 
the "West Indies, end 1 havj no doubt the cacao indus- 
try might be marie quite hs pr< fitib'e iu tbe Gold 
Coast Colony as in the West Indies. 
Sugar. — I am afraid it will be a lone time before 
su^ar becomes an article of export from the Gold 
Ooist. The cl mate and soil are admiratly suited to 
its cultivation, and I have no doubt it would grow 
as well as it does in the West Indies, but the coat of 
preparing the land, the labour involved in it* culti- 
vation, &c..and the large ou lay required for buildings 
and machinery are against its surcess. 
Nvtmegs and otheb Spices mi^bt be advantageously 
introduced and cultivated. Mutmegs ara the most 
valuable of the spioes, and their cultivation nvght be 
very profitable. It does not involve a treat amount 
of lahour, and the curing is very simple. Th- great 
drawback woold be the ot jeetion of the na'ivei to 
wait for several je'>r3 before receiving any return 
for their labour. So far as 1 am a !e to judge from 
the plants already growing at the station at Aburi, 
I have no doubt the climate end soil would 
be very suitable for the sncessful cultiva- 
tion of the nutmeg. This opi >ion is strength- 
ened by the fact that cacao grows well on 
the Gold Coast, and it is well known that the climate, 
and soil which ara favourable to Cacao arelikewisn 
suitable for the nutmeg. 
Ahhowroot growi well on the Gold Coast, but ]udg- 
ing by the low prices realised in the West Indies 
under the moat favourable conditions, it is doubtful 
\yhetber it could be made a profitable industry, A 
aer'ous obstacle to its introduction on a large siele 
wmiH be tbe lack of water in many part« of tbe 
Colony, and it couH only be successfully pro- 
duced when in proximity to a River where pleoty 
of water was obtainable. 
Fibers could be grown extensively and satisfactorily 
r n the i , ■ 1 1 - and land near th» coast. A large area 
of tie 'and is of » sandy character, and would suit 
the virions kinds of fibre-prodociog plants admirable. 
0*ine, however, to the want of editable machinery 
for the suoces'ful cleaning of the fit re, it is doubt'ul 
whether itri culfivat'oo could he carried on profitably. 
Fibre-growing 1 as been taken op extensively in the 
Bahamas and elsewhere, but in consequence of the 
expense of the machinery a* d its comparative in- 
efficiency, it it ati 1 douhfol whether the fibre- 
growing industry will ultimately prove successful. 
N»arlv all kit da of fruits produced io the We«» 
Tndies have already been iuiroduced to the Gold 
Coast Botanical Station arid grow satigfac'orily. Th< y 
are b<-ing propagated, and in tbe curse of time a 
large stock of tr*es will b n raised and disseminated 
throughout the Colony. I fear, however, tha* on 
account of the distance from th- markets, frnit-grow- 
irg for exportation can never become a profitable 
industry, but it might wi'h advautage te cultivated 
largely for use in the Polony. 
Having regard to all the circumstances of tbo 
Gold (Vast Co'ory, and especially to the charart r 
und habi*s of its people, I think it wou'd be advis- 
able, i" the he't intereits of the Colony, to encourage 
by every possible means 'he cultivation of tbe three 
valuah'e commercial products of coffee, cacao and nut- 
megs. The soil ar d climate of the Gold Coast art- 
very suitable for their successful cu tiratirn, tbe 
labour involved is rot great, the expenditure on 
huildings and machinery for curing, &c, is small, 
and they are nrtirlcs for which there is a large and 
constant demand ;uid from which a good profit might 
be obtained. In time the energies of the nstives 
might be directed to other branches of caltivstion, 
b' t in the first instance I think it is most d<srable 
that thev should be confined mainly to the three abovc- 
men'ioned articles, namely, coffee, cacso and nutmegs. 
Whilst in the Wert Indus I made arrangements 
with th e Director of the Pub'ic G«rders and Plan- 
tations at Jamaica to s^nd to tbe Gold Coast Colony 
a ca-e of plants and seeds of the Bine Mountain Coffee. 
Th'B crfjffe ia superior to that now growiDg in the 
Colony, and I considered that it would be of advan- 
tage to introduce it. I have also made arrangements 
with the Puperin'tndent of the Botanical Gardens 
at Trin : dad to forward a case each of the beit 
varitt e* of cacao and nntmeys. 
I was desired by Hia Excellency the Governor of 
the Gold Coast to consider tie advisahility of follow- 
ing the example already Eet by the Government of 
Lsgos of sending youths to the West Indies to be 
apprenticed at the Botanic Stations. It would be of 
great advantage to the Colony if the services of 
well-train' d native garderers could be secured. Up to 
the present time there his b r en considerable difficulty 
in getting appren'icfs at Abnri, but I think that if 
better inducements were held out we should be able 
to get intelligent youths to take np tbe work; and 
after careful consideration of the question I have 
come to tbe conclusion that, after they have spent 
a certain time with me at tbe Station at Aburi, it would 
be very advisable to s°Dd them to one or other of 
the Bo'anical Stations in the West Indies for a period 
of two years to complete their training. On their 
return they would be qualified to take charge of branch 
Stations, which might he established in other pvrts 
the Colony, and also to hold responsible positions 
at the Ch ef Station at Aburi. It should be a condi- 
tion that, in consideration of the expen diture on their 
training, they should, cn their return from the West 
Ind'es, be bound to the Goverr ment for a period 
of three or five years. This subject is discussed in 
the Kew Bulletin 1893. pp. 363-?65. Tbe two yonr g 
men already trained at the Botanical Gardens, 
Jamaica, and efterwp.rds at the Royal Gardens, Kew, 
are now about to return to West Africa, 
