492 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
[Jan. 1, 1902. 
Plantain: — Fair length and Btrength, value about £20 
per ton, readily saleable. 
Fine Apfile'- — Nice length and strength. Saleable 
in small lots. Value i£l5 to £17 per ton, if whiter 
possibly £20 per ton. 
Sanseviera Cylindrica : — Of good strength and fair 
length ; rather poor colour, about £10 to i;20 
per ton. 
anseviera Guincensis : — Same character as above 
bnt not so good— value about £ 15 per ton. 
China Grass : — Very poor quality and probably 
next to no value. 
Rope: — Would not sell in this market. 
India Ruhher :— Fine nead clean ball, worth about 
3s per lb and readily saleable. 
Qwm Arabia :— (labelled Animi) : Of no value and 
insoluble. 
Anatto Seeds no commercial value beinfr very 
dull in colour. If bright good colour l|d to 2d per lb. 
might be obtained. 
' Turmeric : — Of no value in its present condition ; 
it mast be dried before shipment. 
This report is distinctly encor.raj/ing;, especially 
as regards the Fibres. The Aloe, for example, 
grows well all over the Shire Highlands and if a 
machine exists for successfully treating it in large 
quantities ib should pay at the prices mentioned 
in the report. It would require to be planted on 
a large scale however, treated by machinery, 
packed in a press and sent down river at a low 
freight in addition to a low freight from Cliinde 
to London. £25 a ton is a little less than three 
pence per lb, so that it will be clearly seen that 
after the expenses of growing, preparing, and 
packing are calculated, the freight would have 
to be a very low one to allow of any profit at 
all. It is calculated that at present freight 
rates it takes about £12 per ton to sell a ton of 
cott'ee of which freights are roughly £7-10 and were 
the fibre to cost the same amount it -means that 
only about fifty per cent of the value in London 
would be available to pay cultivation, manufac- 
ture, interest, etc., and profit. On the other 
hand were the freights reduced by 25 per cent 
perhaps that very 25 per cent reduction would be 
the profit and would therefore decida the ques- 
tion as to whether the industry could be taken 
up or not. 
The only other item in the list which is of 
special interest is the Rubber specimen. We have, 
however, no information as to the age of the 
trees when tapped, the method of tapping, and 
the effect on the trees after being tapped, and 
mosb important of all the amount of rubber 
yielded per tree. If the A L C can furnish these 
particulars it might be possible to come to some 
definite judgment on the worth of the Ceara as 
a rubber yielding tree. — Central African Times, 
Nov. 2. 
4» 
INTRODUCTION OF COCOA INTO 
BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA. 
In my circulars on this subject, it was stated 
that the importation of cocoa seed was likely 
to be unsuccessful, the supposition being 
based on previous importations having failed. 
Fortunately, however, through the kindness of 
Sir W, Thisilton-Dyer, Director of the Royal 
Gardens, Kew, 1 am now able to state that 
cocoa plants inay be successfully transported from 
England to British Central Africa. A consign- 
ment of 210 plants in two Wardian cases were 
despatched from Kew on the 14th June and arrived 
at Zomba on the 4th fcJeptember having thus been 
8? days in the cases. Although on arrival th 
lower leaves of the plants were withered and had 
fallen off, the plants looked in excellent condi- 
tion, and just as if they had left the hothouse 
only a few days previously. Each plant was in 
Its place and only three were dead. After the 
covers of the cases had been opened for several 
days to admit air, and al'ow syringing with water, 
the plants were taken out, and the roots of 
each were covered with sphagnum (raoss) 
and securely tied— a few threads of any fibrous 
plant being sufficient— after which all were 
planted in a previously selected and i)repared piece 
of ground. This was well dug and watered and 
was in a suitable state for their reception. It was 
considered advisable to top each plant so that 
strong plants with good roots will be ready to 
plant out at next rains. With frequent syringing 
and watering, tlie plants have now burst into 
foliage and promise well. To those who desire to 
import cocoa plants in quantity the following 
points should be observed. Seedlings shouhi have 
matured a season's growth in three inch pots 
befoie they leave Europe, which should be at any 
tinie from June up to end of September, as there 
will be less danger of the plants suffering from 
frost at this period of the year before they 
reach the tropics. Plants leaving in June will allow 
of their reaching here in time to be treated in the 
nursery bed and become established before planting 
out in the succeeding rains. Nursery beds — which 
should not be in an exposed position — need not 
be shaded, as this would cause the plants to be 
weakly and "drawn." Plants leaving Europe in 
June or July will most likely have completed their 
season's growth, and be in a condition to stand 
shifting out of the pots and packing in the cases, 
and travel without; much fear of their breaking 
into active growth on the way. This is a most 
important point, and one to^which much of the 
success of tills last consignment from Kew is due, 
together with excellent packing. The bottom of 
the case should be covered with two inches of 
sphagnum, with just a little soil, leaf mould and 
sand preferably. On removal from the pots the 
plants may then be placed closely together, one 
ordinary case holding just over the hundred. A 
little soil should again be placed over the roots so 
as to leave no empty spaces, and over this, 
say an inch or two of sphagnum, while 
above this may be placed three or four straws 
between each rcw of plants. These will keep the 
sph-oDum from getting IcJose, and thus retain 
suilicient moisture. To securely fix the pliuit,s in 
the cases for the journey, some stout pieces of 
wood an inch and a half thick should be placed 
between each row just over the sphagnum and 
securely held down by means of two other pieces 
nailed along the side. 
I was lately favoured with a price list of plants 
of economic products from the Colonial Horticul- 
tural Society at Brussels, and amongst these I 
observe that Cocoa plants may be obtained from 
Brussels at £5. 10s per hundred plants, cases and 
packing included. This, altogether with freight, 
appears rather costly ; but when it is remembered 
that the importation of seed is so unsuccessful, 
this figure may be considered a fair one. 
It is proposed that lOOof theplants lately received 
be distributed— at a nominal sum each to cover 
freight— to planters in B C A who are willing to 
give them a fair trial. — J McClounib, 
Head of Scientific Department, 
—B C A Gazette, October 31. 
