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
=Importance of Correct Climatic Conditions.=—Cocoa plantations,
in order to be successful, require atmospheric moisture fairly
constantly throughout the year, and will not thrive if exposed to
excessive and prolonged drought, or too much rain. Meteorological
records taken at Bo, a place not far distant from that where cocoa
experiments were made, show that the conditions in respect to
distribution of rainfall, humidity and temperature are unfavourable
there. Many attempts have been made in other localities, but only in
Northern Sherbro has there been any appreciable success. The soil in
this locality is deep and is kept in good tilth by the Gallinas. The
price obtained locally for their cocoa beans was, in 1913, from
3_d_. to 4_d_. per lb.; in 1914 there was an increase in the number
of plants put out, as the price rose in that year to 6_d_. per lb. A
sample of native cocoa was submitted to the Imperial Institute for
examination and report in 1916, and was found to be incompletely
fermented with a rather harsh flavour. The trade valuation, however,
was equal to the standard price ruling for Accra beans at the same
time (cf. _Bull. Imp. Inst._, 1916, p. 589). Although the outlook for
Northern Sherbro is promising, cocoa cannot attain much success in
the country generally, on account of unsuitable climatic conditions
and general ineptitude of most of the native tribes.
=COFFEE.=—A few years ago coffee was grown in the Colony for
export, the indigenous variety, _Coffea stenophylla_ as well as
_C. Liberica_ being planted. The former bears a very small berry
and yields an excellent, strong-flavoured beverage. The latter is
better known and has a large berry. Throughout the hill villages of
the Colony a great number of trees are seen, but, owing to a fall
in the price of the product, most of the crop remains unpicked,
although it should not prove unremunerative even at the present
prices to continue the export.
=INDIGO.=—Species of Indigofera and a scandent shrub, _Lonchocarpus
cyanescens_, or “Gara” (Mendi), are used for the extraction
of the blue dyes commonly employed in the country. The leaves of
the latter plant are said to be in such demand that a quantity is
annually imported from Southern Nigeria. A description of the method
of dyeing with “Gara,” and an explanation of the process, are
given in the _Bulletin of the Imperial Institute_, vol. v. (1907),
p. 129.
=FRUIT.=—Some parts of the Colony seem favourable for the
cultivation of various tropical fruits, such as bananas, oranges,
mangoes, and pineapples, and it is possible that the proximity of
Sierra Leone to European ports might enable some of these to be
grown for export.
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