4 
[July  i,  1895. 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
and  it3  principal  advantage  is  that  it  has  a winter! 
Besides  all  Wynaad's  manv  advantages  it  affords 
“Jack”  good  sport  and  so  saves  his  being  the 
roverbial  “ dull  boy  ” that  only  work  might  make 
ini!  It  has  game  and  fowl  of  all  descriptions, 
and  the  “ Bmmmagherries  " is  the  most  charming 
spot  in  addition  to  its  sporting  advantages — A. — Local 
“Times’ 
PKUUrCTS  Ul.I)  AND  NEW  IN  THE  NILEll 
COAST,  WEST  AFRICA. 
(By  Mr.  B’dl'myton,  Curator,  Botanic  Station.) 
Almost  the  whole  country  round  Old  Calabar  could 
be  profitably  planted  with  coffee,  and  much  of  it 
with  cocoa.  The  Liberian  coffee  thrives  wonderfully 
well  even  with  little  attention.  There  are  upwards 
of  200  plants  in  two  different  places  iu  the  gardens 
that  are  flourishing.  Cocoa  also  thrives  and  is  shipped 
in  small  quantites,  and  fetches  a fair  price  on  the 
market. 
There  is  much  original  forest  soil  upon  which  the 
best  cocoa  can  be  grown,  especially  that  around 
the  springs. 
The  plants  of  both  were  most  of  them  transplanted 
from  nursery  bcdj  in  July,  and  there  have  been 
few  failures,  a fact  that  speaks  well  for  their  future. 
J'lie  tr.inaplantation  of  cocoa  in  this  country  is 
generally  attended  with  a certain  amount  of  risk. 
1 therefore  recommend  for  the  native  culture,  where 
rough-and-ready  methods  are  usual,  to  plant  two 
or  three  seeds  iu  an  18-inch  hole  at  12  feet  apart, 
iu  limes. 
If  fresh  seeds  are  planted  in  May  or  June,  one 
may  rely  on  almost  all  germinating.  The  best  plant 
is  left,  an.l  the  others  can  be  either  tiansplanted 
with  care,  or  pulled  up,  when  the  remaining  plant 
will  go  ahead  without  a check. 
The  same  procedure  does  not  apply  to  coffee, 
which  is  best  to  be  planted  in  iiusery  beds.  Tlie 
ones  I transplanted  are  now  larger  than  those  in 
the  nursery,  and  amongst  the  200  that  were  planted 
in  permanent  places,  there  are  no  vacancies. 
There  is,  however,  a point  upon  which  these  im- 
por'ant  plants  may  fail  eventually  to  justify  the 
high  expectations  that  are  required  of  them,  namely, 
whether  there  is  sufficient  depth  of  soil  above  the 
clay  strata  for  the  plants  after  reaching  a certain 
age.  It  is  my  opinion  that  they  will  thrive  at  every 
Stage. 
Tea  (Camellia  theifera). — There  are  not  enough 
plants,  nor  has  there  been  time  enough  for  me  to 
express  any  opinion  as  to  its  future,  beyond  that 
the  two  small  specimens  that  are  in  the  gardens 
are  growing  fairly  at  present. 
Arrow-root  (Maranta  arimdina'’ea)  and  'Tannerir. 
(Curcuma  longa)  the  s>il  is  suited  for,  and  both 
thrive  well  with  nn  excellent  yield.  The  former 
should  prove  profitable. 
Oinycr  grows  fairly,  with  a small  yield,  but  -oc- 
casions a good  deal  of  trouble. 
Kola  Xut  (Cola  acnminatal,  being  indigenous,  is 
naturally  flourishing.  I recommend  its  cultivation. 
Rubber  Trees  grow  well  with  little  attention,  the 
soil  and  climate  being  especially  suited  for  Ficus 
elastica  and  Ceara  Rubber  (Mauihot  Glaaiovi'). 
Both  of  these  will  in  the  course  of  time  prove  pro- 
fitable, although  some  while  must  necessarily  elapse 
before  they  can  be  started  iu  quantity.  The  speci- 
mens in  the  gardens  are  in  fine  condition. 
Landolphia  \ incs  I have  not  experimented  with, 
as  they  are  indigenous,  and  will  not  grow  in  the 
open  country.  , . , , 
Annatto  Rye  Riant  (Bixa  Orellana)  flourishes  almost 
without  attention.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  there 
is  not  a larger  demand  for  the  pulp.  If  cultivated 
on  a large  scale,  no  market  would  be  found  for  it. 
Jleinia  (Lawsouia  alba),  with  its  sweet-smelling 
flowers,  is  doing  well. 
Spires  and  Aroniatics. — Cinnamon,  pimento  a’ld 
Mefegneta  pepper  have  all  made  good  growth,  lire 
first  named,  I foel  confident,  will  be  a success,  and 
worth  cultivating  on  a large  scale.  Plants  raised 
from  seeds,  planted  by  myself  in  July,  are  now  iJ 
feet  high. 
Black  Repper  (Piper  nigrum)  I am  afraid,  judging 
by  the  present  condition  of  the  plants,  will  not  thrive. 
Capsicums  give  a fair  crop  of  huge  fruit-pods.  A 
fair-sized  variety  is  growm  by  the  natives,  which, 
if  it  were  only  cultivated  on  a large  scale,  should 
prove  profitable.  Many  tons  are  exported  from  other 
parts  of  the  coast. 
.Naf/mv/s  (Myristica  fragrans),  which  arrived  in 
bad  condition,  died  soon  after  beiiq'  p anted  out.  I 
can  therefore  express  no  opinion  as  to  how  this 
valuable  tree  would  grow. 
Bay  Tree  (Laurus  nobilis)  and  Camphor  (Cinna- 
monium  Caniphora)  have  done  well  from  the  first. 
The  latter  can  be  recommende  1. 
Oil  seeds,  Castor  Oil  (Ricinus  communis). — Some 
exceedingly  fine  specimens  have  been  grown,  having 
a fair  yield  of  seed.  It  is  cultivated  in  small  quanti- 
ties by  the  natives,  and  is  well  worth  attention. 
The  same  applies  to  ground-nuts  (Arachis  hypogsei). 
Jatropha  Curcaa,  the  physic  nut,  that  will  grow 
almost  wild,  m-iy  be  mentioned  ; and  cotton-seeds 
might  prove  profitable,  as  well  as  the  croton-oil  plant, 
which,  I think,  would  grow. 
Cotton  (Gossypium  sp.j,  although  growing  robustly, 
has  an  inferior  staple  of  fibre,  and  I cannot  re- 
commend its  cultivation  except  as  an  oil  seed. 
Coco  Xuts  thrive,  but  the  distance  from  the  sea 
will  make  itself  felt  when  it  comes  to  the  question 
of  yield.  They  would  be,  however,  worth  the  natives’ 
while  to  cultivate  on  a large  scale. 
I'mits. — The  following  are  growing  wcil,  many 
of  which  have  been  raised  from  seeds  iu  the 
gardens Mango,  bread  fruit,  orange,  lime,  shaddock, 
guava,  date,  loquat,  chcrimoyer,  custard  apple, sweet 
sop,  sour  sop,  rose  apple  (Eugenia  Jambos),  Avocado 
pear,  akee  1 Blighia  sapida),  durian  (Uurio  Zibethinus), 
banana,  plantain,  pine-apple,  papaw,  granadilia, 
cashew. 
Such  products  as  these,  though  of  no  actual  com- 
mercial value,  with  the  exception  of  the  pine-apple, 
the  distanca  from  England  being  too  great  for  ex- 
portation, are  of  considerable  use  and  benefit  to  the 
country  itself. 
Timber. — ijogwood,  the  specimen  in  the  Gardens, 
has  grown  8 feet  in  nine  months.  When  once  it 
seeds,  the  seeds  being  winged  and  carried  about  by 
the  wind,  more  are  propagated  without  attention. 
Fibre  J'lants  (Sansevieria  guiceecsis),  which  can 
be  planted  almost  everywhere,  promise  well.  Pine- 
apple, the  leaves  are  long,  and  might  be  produced 
in  any  quantity.  I have  tried  without  success  to 
obtain  seeds  of  the  Sisal  hemp  and  China  grass, 
both  of  which  would  grow  in  Old  Calabar,  as  would 
many  other  useful  fibres. 
Eucalyptus  — The  climate  seems  unsuitcd  for.  After 
many  experiments  I have  only  succeeded  in  raisi'  g 
a few  small  and  struggliug  specimens  of  K.  citriodora. 
It  is  possible  th»t  if  they  get  past  a certain  stage 
they  will  improve. 
(From,  Report  on  the  Botany  of  the  Xdiani.  .[kpayafe, 
and  Akwa  Rivers  District.) 
In  the  natur  .1  products  of  the  whole  district  I am 
disappointed. 
Rubber. — Rubber  does  not  exist  in  the  quantity  I 
expected  to  find  it,  and  it  appears  to  nn  to  be 
worked  to  its  full  extent,  except  that  a more  scieiilifio 
method  of  extraciiou  would  increase  the  quantity.  It 
was  the  exception  to  sec  any  large  vines  that  were 
not  tapped.  The  district  in  which  most  vines  were 
seen  was  round  Okuri  and  Ndebiji,  'The  natives  make 
the  unfortunate  mistake  of  cutting  down  the  vines, 
not  tapping  them.  The  result  is  that  the  vine  dies. 
'There  is  one  species  of  Carpodinus,  yielding  an 
inferior  rubber;  but  they  do  not  work  it.  A few 
rubber  trees  (F'tcK.'?  Fo^c/ft)  are  growing  in  the  towns, 
but  not  in  sulficicnt  quantity  to  be  worth  while 
collecting. 
'The  wine  palm  (Raplaa  r.inifcra),  from  which  the 
piassava  fibre  is  obtained,  is  found  plentifully  almost 
throughout  the  whole  journey,  but  more  especially 
about  the  Akwa  River,  Ndcgha,  Ndebiji,  and  Ekoi 
Afanya.  'The  natives  do  not  appear  to  use  it  at  all. 
'raking  into  account  the  large  number  of  these 
palms,  it  is  surprising  to  find  how  little  palm  wine 
there  was  iu  the  difforeut  villages. 
