Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  i 
January,  1895.  / 
The  Kola  Nut. 
33 
SIERRA  LEONE. 
Referring  to  instructions  from  the  Department,  under  date  of 
August  1 8  last,  I  have  the  honor  to  state  that,  with  the  view  of- 
obtaining  the  best  and  most  reliable  information  on  the  subject- 
matter,  I  immediately  addressed  the  administrator  of  this  colony, 
and  have  the  honor  to  inclose  his  reply,  received  to-day,  which  con. 
tains  all  the  information  at  present  available,  from  public  sources,  on 
the  subject  of  the  growth,  output,  export,  and  value  of  kola  nuts,  as 
regards  the  colony  of  Sierra  Leone. 
governor  carden  to  consul  pooeey. 
Government  House,  Freetown,  Sierra  Leone. 
October  16,  1894.. 
Sir  :  In  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  -iyth  ultimo,  asking  for  certain  informa- 
tion respecting  kola  nuts,  I  have  the  honor  to  forward  herewith  copies  of 
memoranda  by  Mr.  Spaine,  the  colonial  postmaster,  and  Mr.  Faulkner,  the 
assistant  colonial  secretary,  on  the  production,  output,  export,  and  prices  of 
this  article,  which,  I  trust,  will  meet  your  requirements. 
The  "broad  leaf,"  mentioned  in  the  assistant  colonial  secretary's  memoran- 
dum, I  understand,  belongs  to  the  natural  order  of  the  malvacese  and  is  known 
in  the  West  Indies  and  South  America  by  the  name  of  "  Bal  leaf." 
I  have,  etc.,  .  F.  Carden, 
Administrator. 
ASSISTANT  SECRETARY  FAULKNER  TO  GOVERNOR  CARDEN. 
Herewith  is  a  memorandum,  made  by  Mr.  Spaine,  the  colonial  postmaster, 
respecting  the  production  of  kola  nuts.  The  kola  tree  produces  the  nuts  in 
pods  containing  from  three  to  eight  nuts.  When  full,  the  pod  changes  from 
a  green  to  a  red-brownish  color,  and,  if  not  picked  in  time,  dehisces  or  falls  to 
the  ground. 
The  nuts,  when  collected,  are  laid  by  for  a  few  days  to  allow  the  skin  to 
soften,  so  as  to  admit  an  easy  removal  when  washed. 
The  nuts  are  exported  in  two  ways,  viz.:  fresh  and  dry.  To  keep  it  fresh, 
care  should  be  taken  that  the  nuts  are  properly  washed  with  clean,  fresh 
water,  not  a  particle  of  the  decayed  skin  being  allowed  to  remain  on  them. 
After  the  water  has  drained,  the  quantity  for  shipment  is  put  into  a  cane 
basket,  inlaid  with  a  kind  of  broad  leaf  peculiarly  adapted  to  keep  the  nuts 
fresh  for  a  considerable  time— say,  three  months  and  more— and  to  keep  away 
worms,  which  are  very  destructive  to  the  nuts. 
To  export  it  in  the  dry  state  entails  no  trouble.  Afier  getting  off  the  skin, 
by  washing,  the  nuts  are  split  into  pieces  and  dried  in  the  sun,  after  which  they 
are  shipped  in  ordinary  packages,  and,  so  long  as  kept  dry,  are  not  subject  to 
deterioration.  The  fresh  nuts  are  sold  in  Freetown  at  from  £3  to  £6  ($14.60  to 
$29.20)  per  measure,  equal  to  \  bushels. 
The  kola  nuts  are  principally  exported  to  the  following  places,  and  those 
exported  from  Sierra  Leone  in  1S93  were  as  follows  : 
