652 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April 1, 1902. 
(lianas) haye also some latex (lac), but instead of 
climbing, they run aloug nndergiound, like long 
stems, and thr w up aerial branches 20 to 00 centi- 
metres high. I have distinguished five or six different 
vaiielies of this curious kind of Landolpliia — true sub- 
terranean creepers — but only one of them has a great 
economic importance. The natives easily distinguish 
it from the others, although they are very much 
alike, and extract from it an India-rubber of pretty 
good quality, but capable of improvement by the 
elimination of the woody residue. 
This India-rubber is actually produced in a part of th® 
Stanley Pool district, and is seen in^quantity in the mar 
kets. Last year the natives brought about 30 tons to 
Lukunga. But the greatest quantity of it undoubtedly 
comes from a district I have not visited eastern Kwango. 
According to what I am told by two functionaries, 
Messrs. Oostermans and Deghilage, the India-rubber 
weed there covers vast sandy territories, and the 
natives work it on a large scale. Not long ago the 
rubber from this region was exported to the 
Portuguese possessions of Angola, and was there the 
object of a considerable traffic. 
Here are some figures that I owe to M. Deghilage, 
who has for a long time traversed the Western Kwango 
region : — "I have seen in the market of Kenghe Diadia 
30 tons of rubber exposed for sale. This product 
can be bought at 80 centimes the kilogramme, and 
it is sold in Europe at 4 fr. or I14'50. Transport by 
caravans to Matadi costs 8 francs for 35 kilogrammes 
(78^ lb.) The same agent values the actual produc- 
tion of rubber of the Kwango district, at 500 tons a 
year, a quantity which might easily be doubled. Such a 
production in a generally poor, sandy soil is worthy of 
note, and warns us to beware of condemning any 
region from a superficial examination of its soil and 
vegetation. 
What I have said of the production of 
palm oil, of ronza seed and of rubber may be applied to 
the neighbouring district. I hope even more from 
the extension of the cultivation of the ground nut 
iu the sandy plains of the Stanley Pool and the Kwango 
districts. It is already much cultivated and might 
be much more so. 
As for the cultivation of Coffee, I should be much 
less affirmative. I do not doubt that one might also 
cultivate it in the wooded fertile valleys, but I think 
it is an error to wish to make large plantations as 
they tried to do near the pool, at Kinchassa 
and especially at Gaiiema. In these two localities, 
4 or 5 years ago, many coffee trees were planted in a 
soil essentially sandy, with soil to a depth of 40 or 50 
centimetres (18 or 20 inches) rarely more. I will give 
you word for word what I noted on the spot on the 
10th of last March -.—"Beside the 350 coffee trees 
4 to 10 years of age and the two Cacao trees 6 or 7 
years old at Leopoldville, they planted two years ago 
at Gaiiema nearly 10,000 coffee and 1,G00 cacao trees. 
Let us look at the Uacao. A first plantation almost 
equally as important has failed, a victim to the insects 
that devour the cacao leaves touched by the drought. 
What will become of their successors. They have 
had to be protected by thick shade and nevertheless 
many of them have perished. In fact. Cacao must not 
Jje thought of for large plantations in the district, 
Liberian coffee suits better, but we must not found 
large hopes even on this. Not only that neither soil 
nor climate is of the best, but also that labour is 
very short near the pool. In fact, it is very difficult 
to provide the labourers now with sufficient food, for 
want of native cultivation in the surrounding regions. 
And any fresh extension in coffee cultivation would 
render the victualling of the blacks still more pre- 
carious. 
In short, under these conditions, one cannot 
believe that tlie opening of largo plantations would be 
profitable. Bather should one abandon these efforts 
in order to concentrate every effort (jn the equatorial 
DISTRICT or THE LAKE LEOPOLD 11. 
At the village of Qnebo plantains are cultivated by 
the natives and papaw trees are fertile and vigorous ; 
giant grasses abound where the soil is turned up ; 
the forest is nowhere more brilliant than in the 
neighbourhood of Malepie. I hai e there seen a stem 
of India-rubber creeper 10 centimetres iu diameter, 
bearing several transverse incisions, a proof that the 
natives know and practise the good way of extracting 
the rubber. 
Certainly neither the soil of Malepie nor that of 
Quebo can be considered as very favourable for the 
cultivation of coffee. It is too sandy, and the six 
months of drought would make the process of water- 
ing too difficult. But tohacco seems to offer a more 
hopeful cultivation, especially if the analysis of the 
soil shows a sufficiency of potash. It is the same 
with the earth-nut, the cultivation of which should be 
left entirely to the natives. The oil-palm is not very 
abundant. On the other hand there are many robber 
creepers in the forest and along the banks. Rubber 
constitutes the most important product of this dis- 
trict, and will for a long time remain so, especially if, 
as Messrs. Jacques, Delcommune and Gillain affirm, 
the eastern region is entirely covered with forests. 
According to information 1 have received, the region 
ought to give 300 to 400 tons of rubber for annum. 
Tiie specimens I have seen were of very good quality 
and are worth 6 to 7 francs in Europe per kilogramme ; 
they had been bought at about 20 centimes {2d.) 
I would also note the large quantity of copal that 
exists iu the Lake region, and which the natives col- 
lect at the foot of the trees along the banks. The 
value of gum copal is variable, and I have not yet 
had my specimens examined. But, when the railway is 
finished, it will be possible to export this to Eurupe 
in large quantities. I cannot give the cost of handling 
or collecting it, as that was ohly attempted two days 
before I left, 
BISTBICT3 OF THE KASSAI AND THE LTIALABA. 
Further on rise little hillocks well wooded in which oil* 
palms and Landolpliia abound. Here begins the 
variety of rubber known as Kassai which is so much 
sought after in Europe on account of its purity and 
excellence. The forest here also extends towards the 
south to the Djuma or Kuilu which traverses a forest 
said to contain much rubber. Further on the country 
resumes the appearance of the caravan route, but the 
elevations are all covered with forests. Yon find 
there all the types of equatorial vegetation, includ- 
ing oil-palms, rubber creepers, rattans, some BapJda, 
trees of coloured wood in great variety. The soil is no 
longer clayey, but purely sandy and brown from the 
earth which is more than three feet deep. There 
are many sites there on the hilly parts suited for 
agricultural undertakings. Several factories (?agencies) 
exist in these latitudes. Their principal resource is 
India-rubber, which they buy at 35 to 40 centimes the 
kilogramme* : labourers can be produced for 10 
centimes a day. Up to Luebo, on the Lulua, the aspect 
is the same and the panorama is marvellous, so 
various is the vegetation. 
Luebo is surrounded by fine forests and is an im- 
portant market for the red rubber of Kassai (worth 7 to 
7§ fr. the kilo.^ The natives harvest it by incision 
and prepare balls strung together in chaplets ; or else 
the latex is warmed and made into bricks 20 centi- 
metres long and 4 to 6 broad, and of a dark colour. 
The rubber is bought at 35 to 37 centimes the kilo- 
gramme in exchange for cloth and sometimes for 
cowries ; allowing for the cost of transport (60 to 100%) 
thekilog. costs at most 75 centimes (7s). Eubber exists 
in abundance in the forests and seems to be methodi- 
cally harvested by incision. From information fnr 
nished to me, I conclude that from 500 to 700 tons a 
year of the best quality could easily be harvested, 
provided goods in exchange were always forthcoming), 
and this only after the railway is finished, 
*lsilogramme=2 1-6 lbs, 
