224 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST 
smell  which  arises  from  them,  and  which,  as  the 
Colonial  Secretary  points  out,  appears  to  be  one 
of  the  principal  attractions  to  the  unsophisticated 
native.  Baskets  and  crates,  adapted  for  carrying 
goods  on  the  head,  are  extensively  made  in  every 
part  of  the  colony,  and  on  the  coast  all  the  fishermen 
make  their  own  nets  often  from  yarn  which  has  been 
manufactured  out  of  native-grown  fibre  and  cotton. 
In  many  of  the  villages  of  Akwapim  and  Krobo  there 
are  blacksmiths’  forges,  where  rough  ironwork  is 
turned  out,  such  as  door  hicges,  door  handles, 
bolts,  window  fasteners,  &c.  Mining  and  working 
for  gold  is  extensively  carried  on,  especially  in 
Wassaw  and  Akim.  The  country  is  rich  in  gold, 
it  is  to  be  found  everywhere  in  large  or  small 
quantities,  and  there  is  no  native  family  in  the 
country  without  its  family  gold  ornaments  of  the 
purest  gold  and  often  of  artistic  workmanship.  The 
insignia  of  the  Court  officials  of  a native  king  are 
almost  invariably  covered  with  beaten  gold,  and  gold 
dust  among  the  natives  is  a common  medium  of 
exchange.  The  natives  mine  for  gold  in  a very 
primitive  manner;  they  do  not  use  mercury,  and 
their  returns  are  much  smaller  than  they  would  be  if 
more  perfected  systems  were  adopted.  A native 
miner  has  but  few  implements— a long-bladed  spud 
or  dagger,  a wooden  bucket  for  bailing  out  the  water 
or  hoisting  out  the  stuff,  and  a bowl  for  washing  or 
“vanning"  make  up  the  list.  He  rarely  makes  his 
shaft  more  than  three  feet  in  diameter.  Planting  one 
end  of  his  digger  into  a recess  in  the  shaft  he  places 
the  other  end  diagonally  against  the  opposite  side  of 
the  shaft,  and  supporting  himself  by  it  his  foot  is 
placed  in  another  of  the  recesses.  He  then  lengthens 
out  his  body  and  fixes  his  back  firmly  against  the 
side  of  the  shaft.  Thus  supported  he  removes  the 
digger,  plants  it  in  another  recess  below  the  first, 
and  by  repeating  the  operation  gets  to  the  bottom 
of  the  shaft.  For  many  years  past  gold  mining  on 
an  extensive  scale  has  been  carried  on  by  several 
English  mining  companies  in  Wassaw. — Journal  o] 
the  Socict;/  of  Arts. 
A SHOUT  1‘UOORKSS  UEPOUT  UX  THE 
AOIllCULTUUAE  IXUUSTUIES  OF 
TRINIDAD  (“  EXCLUDINO  SUGAR 
The  Agricultural  Industries  may  conveniently  be 
divided  iuto  several  classes. 
Section  1.— Produce  use 
for  the  preparation  of 
Dietetic  beverages. 
,,  2. — Cereals. 
„ 3. — Starches. 
,,  4. — Dyes  and 
Tannins. 
„ 5. — Vegetable  Oils.  | 
Section  6. — Fruits. 
,,  7. — Spices. 
,,  8. — Rubbers. 
,,  9. — Fibres 
,,  10. — Timbers. 
„ 11. — Miscellaneous. 
In  writing  of  the  various  tropical  Agricultural 
Industries,  it  has  not  been  attempted  to  arrange 
them  in  the  order  of  their  relative  importance, 
but  to  take  them  seriatim  as  they  fall  under  the 
heads  into  which  I have,  for  convenience,  divided 
them. 
Section  1. — Pboduce  Used  lou  the  Preparation  of 
Dietetic  Beverages. 
Cacao.— 7'/o"oZ»/'oma  Cacao. — The  success  which  has 
followed  the  cultivation  of  Cacao  in  Trinidad  is 
known  world  wide,  and  no  further  words  are  needed 
to  provedt.  If  other  counti'je^,,  are^  to  follow  on  the 
saane  lines,  there  are  many  points  which  should  be 
most  carefully  and  fully  considered,  the  chief  of 
which  are  brought  to  notice  in  a small  book  entitled 
“ Cacao  ■’  winch  is  published  at  the  Office  of  the 
Koy(tl  Botanic  Gardens,  but  would  be  too  lengthy 
to  incorporate  in  a Report  of  this  kind. 
[Oct.  I,  1895. 
The  yearly  production  by 
five  years  is  as  follows  : — 
Year. 
1890 
1891 
1892 
1893 
1894 
Trinidad  for  the  past 
Lb. 
*21,552,593 
16,188,493 
25,041,635 
19,106  553 
21,606,384 
Coffee. — Cqffea  arahica  and  Uherica. — It  has  been 
proved  that  Cojfee  of  first  class  ijualiti/  can  be  success- 
fttlly  grown  in  Trinidad,  and  the  area  under  culti- 
vation is  slowly  iii'-reasiug.  Arabian  and  Liberian 
varieties  can  both  be  successfully  grown. 
Machinery,  which  has  enabled  small  planters  to 
prepare  their  produce  with  economy  has  been  recently 
introduced,  and  other  inventions  to  hand,  appear 
to  be  well  suited  to  further  aid  settlers  in  this 
matter. 
Tea. — Camellia  Thea. — This  does  not  grow  well 
enough  in  Trinidad  to  warrant  the  belief  that  it 
could  be  profitably  cultivated  in  competition  with 
more  favoured  countries. 
Cola  or  Kola. — Sterculia  acuminata. — This  product 
has  lately  come  into  some  prominence,  and  the 
demand  for  it  has  much  exceeded  the  supply  ; 
consequently,  good  prices  have  ruled. 
It  can  readily  be  grown  in  the  same  kind  of  soil 
and  under  the  same  conditions  of  climate  as  “ Cacao,” 
and  requires  almost  exactly  the  same  treatment  in 
every  respect.  The  product  however,  does  not  require 
the  expensive  manipu’ation  which  has  to  be  given 
to  Cacao,  having  to  be  only  well  dried,  to  be  ready 
for  shipment. 
Planters  are  now  giving  some  attention  to  this 
matter  and  the  demand  for  plants  is  increasing. 
The  industry  appears  a promising  one. 
Section  2.— CEREALS. 
The  principal  products  under  this  head  that  need 
consideration  are  Corn  and  Rice. 
Corn  or  Maize. — Zea  Mays. — This  can  be,  and  is, 
very  successfully  grown  generally  throughout 
the  Colony,  and  the  produce  has  been  proved  bv 
analysis  to  be  better  and  more  nutritious  than  the 
imported  article  as  generally  received.  If  the  culture 
of  Cereals  were  better  understood  by  the  people 
much  larger  areas  might  be  brought  under  cultivation. 
As  it  is,  there  is  a great  want  of  knowledge,  as 
to  rotation  of  crops,  and  as  to  tlie  conservation 
and  application  of  manures. 
Rice. — Oryza  sativu.—'Ric.e  of  various  kinds  has 
been  succeesfully  cultivated  in  the  Colony.  In  some 
districts,  large  areas  are  annually  planted. 
The  produce  is  of  excellent  quality  and  quite 
equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  imported  article. 
Sorghum.— Guini  a Corn. — , Sorghum  viJgare,  Sorghum 
saccharatum. — As  a grain  producer,  this  plant  is  ex- 
ceedingly useful. 
There  are  s veral  well  marked  varieties  of  each 
of  the  above  species,  and  some  are  much  more 
productive  than  others.  The  plant  has  been  surcess- 
fully  grown  in  Trinidad.  Under  the  name  of  “ Joar/’ 
it  is  one  of  the  most  important  rainy  season  crops 
of  India,  forming  with  rice  and  wheat  the  chief 
staple  foods  of  the  country. f 
PlSTACHE,  Pe  aMut,  Ground  Nut.— hg/iogea. 
— This  has  been  successfully  produced  on  iicli 
sandy  soils,  in  the  Siparia  and  other  districts  of 
Trinidad. 
It  produces  an  oil  said  to  be  ti  good  substitute 
for  o’ive  oil,  and  often  sent  into  the  market  as  such 
The  cultivation,  so  far  as  I can  learn,  is  not  ex- 
tending. 
Pigeon  Pea,  Congo  Pea. — Cg/anus  Indicus,  Syreng 
—This  is  probably  one  of  the  most  useful  legumes 
cultivated,  and  it  answers  well  as  a rotation  crop 
with  Sugar  Cane,  Corn,  Ac.  It  is  most  succe.ssfully 
cultivated  in  Trinidad,  as  well  as  other  West  Indian 
Islands. 
* The  fluctuation  in  the  annual  production  i.s  caused 
hy  crops  like  that  of  IS91  being  late  and  shipped 
m following  year. 
Church  in  “ Food  Grains  of  India.” 
