The agricultural and forest products of British West AfricaDudgeon, Gerald C. (Gerald Cecil)
History
The agricultural and forest products of British West Africa
Dudgeon, Gerald C. (Gerald Cecil)
Agriculture -- Africa, West; Forest products -- Africa, West
=The Quality of Indigenous Rubbers and the Export.=—The prices
obtained for Sierra Leone rubbers compare favourably with those of
the other British West African countries. Funtumia rubber, which
is generally largely adulterated in the Gold Coast and Nigeria,
is apparently not so in Sierra Leone, when prepared in the form of
“Manoh twist.” The vine rubber, made from the scrap, is also of
good quality, and the root rubber is not inferior to that shipped
from the other countries. The trade of Sierra Leone is, however,
small, and it is probable that the larger part of that exported
from Freetown is obtained from the adjoining countries of Liberia
and French Guinea. The export of rubber declined since 1906, when
it amounted to 107 tons, to only 6 tons in 1913, while in 1916
and 1917 none was exported. The composition and quality of Sierra
Leone rubbers is given in the _Bulletin of the Imperial Institute_,
vol. iv. (1906), p. 29; vol. vi. (1908), p. 24; vol. viii. (1910),
p. 16; and vol. xii. (1914), p. 371.
=Rubber Plantations.=—No plantations of Funtumia rubber have
been made although small plots have been planted with the South
American Para tree (_Hevea brasiliensis_) on an experimental
scale at different times and in various parts of the country and a
mixed plantation of rubber, cocoa, coffee and fruit has been made
near Waterloo. Up to 1909, it should be remarked, the work was
in the hands of the Agricultural Service, but from 1910, on the
formation of the Forestry Department as well as the reorganisation
of an Agricultural Department, all forest and plantation work was
transferred to the first-named Department. No plantation rubber
has yet reached the commercial stage, although further trials are
still in progress, and much experience has been gained.
A few Para trees were planted at the beginning of the present century
in the Botanic Gardens at Freetown, but the locality was found
unsuitable, and the trees grew slowly and yielded unsatisfactorily. A
small plantation was made at Moyamba by Madam Yoko, the late chief of
the Mendis, and was well looked after until she died, since when it
seems to have been somewhat neglected. At Mano, the chief of the town
made a good plantation in 1906, and, as the locality was apparently
well selected, the trees have shown satisfactory growth. Small plots
have been put out under Para at the Roman Catholic Mission station
at Serabu, at Segbwema, Tinainahun and the Bo school, with variable
success, in accordance with the cultivation and care bestowed on
the plants. Except in the gravelly positions the tree succeeds well.
_Landolphia owariensis_ and _L. Heudelotii_ have been planted in
forested patches in different parts of the country, the supervision
of such planting having been entrusted to a native who had seen
similar work performed by the French authorities in the neighbouring
colony. Near Batkanu, a few plants can still be seen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account