148 
Forest Flora of Portuguese East Africa 
(£)• 
(h). 
The Mafurrcra is everywhere; the product must be enormous; meantime it is used largely for native food and cosmetics. But this oil, if worked up locally 
from good seeds which the natives have not even soaked for a first unpressed oil, will be one of the most valuable products of the district, and requires every con- 
sideration from the Government. The tree exists in quantity wherever I have been in the Province but especially in the Quisico Administration, and its utilization 
there will give the population profitable employment at home, in which all can participate, and still bring money to the Province. 
Earth nuts they also grow and know and the culture would be extended, were the demand for the oil made from them local and sufficient to induce works. 
So also the seeds of Tel/aria pedal a , a climber grown by them and of which the seeds are used by them. 
Cas/or oi/ (Ricinus) might also be added to the list as its growth is most simple and it is already a weed there, while the import of the oil into South Africa 
is enormous. But in this matter guidance is necessary, as varieties vary immensely in their economic values, and only the best should be encouraged. 
Other kinds might be mentioned but with the above and perhaps Sesame, which already is grown there, the list is long enough for the present. The present 
duty is to supply transport, and either arrange central mills or arrange central stores where supplies will be bought on reasonable and unvarying terms, and forwarded. 
Fluctuations in price are fatal, and better begin with the lowest price that will bring the material than begin high and then drop afterwards. Rubber will be 
referred to later. 
Inhambanc. The more tropical conditions at Inhambane are evident on the surface. Cocoa-nut palms everywhere, indicate a commercial factor not seen fuither 
south. Though this may be the outer limit of commercial cocoa-nut culture, it appeared to me that the trees were healthy, and productive at an early age, and that 
the crop was quite sufficient to warrant extended culture and the extended utilization of the product. The country is well adapted to cocoa-nut culture, and a large 
industry in one line is always advisable. 
Other industries available arc such as I have referred to above. The Sugar estate at Matembe shows good growth under curious soil condition, but the area 
available for sugar in the district is somewhat limited. 
Rubber, — AnSm! throughout the district traversed Landolphia is present, often in quantity. From some places its export is carried on; from others it might be. The 
present position appears to be held by the Indian traders who can make or destroy the trade by their dealings with the natives, while the Government gets nothing 
except the store licenses. 1 am inclined to think that payment of hut-tax in Landolphia rubber at a fixed price, as an alternative to cash were the latter not available, 
might largely increase the product and give all natives more assurance of receiving value for what they collect. I saw no abusive cutting of Landolphia; and in no 
part did it appear to me that the present supply was being fully utilised. Other indigenous rubbers or gutta-perchas require further experiment. I saw many trees 
of Mimusops Hemiquezii, from the bark of which latex may be expressed. Until this is further tested as to its value and volume it would be misleading to say any- 
thing about it. Other kinds have latex which flows freely; in some of these I know the product to be of low value; in others the trees are new to me. 
Concerning imported kinds, Ceara Rubber is the only kind at present distributed widely. This tree grows rapidly into maturity even in the poor sand of 
dry localities. Reports from elsewhere recommend the culture of this kind only where other well-known rubbers are unsuitable. This is presumably the case 
through the district examined (except perhaps the Limpopo), but I saw no systematic plantation of Ceara, nor anything which indicated clearly that it can be grown 
with profit. Experiment in this is necessary as also in the cultivation of Hevea and Castilloa, which are almost untried and may yet prove satisfactory at Limpopo 
and in places at Inhambanc. 
(i). Fibre , — Throughout this part of the Province it is evident that Furcraea gigantea grows satisfactorily. Its growth on nearly pure sand at Matolla, and on similar soil 
at Quisico, as well as in many other places, convinces me that it is quite at home on such soil, and if kept off what is too wet will make as good growth there as 
anywhere else. Till lately the culture of this plant has been almost confined to Mauritius, where a condition of half-naturalised spontaneous growth is credited with 
allowing a special advantage. But the result is growth in all inaccessible localities, requiring wire ropes and other special means of transport to allow utilization, 
and it is incredible that such culture can compete with systematic plantations on level ground where moveable tram lines can convey every leaf direct from the plant 
to the mill, and where the growth of the plant itself is equally good, all of which latter conditions hold good here. I consider the future of this industry assured 
throughout the whole of Eastern South Africa, wherever intelligent selection, laying out and management are employed. The choice has to be made between this 
plant and Agave sisalana of which also plants are in cultivation in the district. In German East Africa plantations of Furcraea were replaced some years ago by 
plantation of Agave; in other parts of the World the Agave has usually been the first choice and held its position. But these localities are more tropical, and it 
seems prudent here to use largely the Furcraea which is an assured success as to growth as far south as Natal and Cape Colony and of which bulbils are available in 
any quantity at low price. Meantime the Agave may be under further trial and young stock raised, the market value of the two kinds being not seriously different. 
