The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-13

A Fruit Africans Worship Because Of
It's Curative and Life-sustainina
Qualities.
From the Detroit Free Press.
Last Tuesdays issue of the FREQ
Press contained Washington dispatch
TO the effect that an oficiaI reporn
bearing upon the cultivation and prep-
aration of the kola nut had just been
received by the state department from
the United States consul at Sierra
Leone. This is the first response TO a
call issued TO all United States consuls
in Africa for specific information re-
garding kola. The kola nut is the
product Of tree which grows wild in
that portion Of the western coast OF Africa
comprised between Sierra Leone and the
Congo The tree is distributed over a COM
paratively limited territory, but where cli-
matte conditions are favorable IL may be-
found FIVE or six hundred miles from the
sea coast Schweinfurth, the famous ex-
plorer, found 1t as far inland as seven or
eight hundred miles, but itNis more than
probable that such growths were the re-
suit of cultivation. Kola in its wild
state Is apparently unknown upon the
eastern coast OF Africa. as none is found
there except such as has been trans
planted by the English, who have also
introduced II In the West Indies Ceylon
Demerara, Sydney, Brazil and other South
American countries 1t has been freely
cultivated In Jamaica, and has recently
been introduced into the French colonies,
Guaduloupe Cayenne, Cochin China and
the Gaboon. In addition to the culti-
walton of kola in the British colonies il
has also been carefully cultivated at Kew
Gardens, and thence distributed to other
botanical collections. including those at
ffaF,. hid -.
There has, however. been no systematic
effort to cultivate II in the United States,
although the soil and climate of certain
portions of California and the Gulf states
are said to be admirably adapted for the
purpose.
If we are TO believe all that is said OF
the wonderful properties of the nut, kola
culture in this country should prove a
profitable Industry. Explorers of the
Dark Continent" from the middle of the
sixteenth century to the present time have
given vivid descriptions of the tree and its
fruit, and of the remarkable properties
attributed to II by the natives. Among
the more eminent of the explorers who
have written upon the subject are
Schweinfurth above mentioned), Reno
Caille and Grffon du Ballay. 1t would be
easy to multiply quotations showing the
remarkable esteem In which the drug is
held as a tonic stimulant by the natives
of Western Africa. There Is no analogous
product in the vegetable kingdom in that
part Of the world which occupies so i'm
portant a relation to the social or Diet
etic economy OF the negro tribes, or which
constitutes so important an article Of
commerce there and in the Soudan. While
we are compelled to doubt some of the
apocryphal reports Of early investigators
regarding the miraculous properties of
the nut, modern scientists have clearly
demonstrated the fact that it possesses
extraordinary merit as tonic stimulant-
Year by year its curative powers have be-
come more and more widely known. It
has been tested in the practice of emf
nent physicians, with result that ii has
established itself, with both the profess
sion and the public, as one of the most
valuable medicinal agents known to SCI
ence.
Kola is both necessity and a luxury
to the inhabitants of a large portion of
Equatorial Africa, where the fresh seed
is employed as a masticatory with a
thirst, while the dried seed is made use
full as an ailment The former is in
great demand but tribes far remote from
the coast viii often trade an equal weight
of gold dust for even dried kola. Tea
and coffee. though containing some of
the principles which characterize the kola
nut, have no charm for the natives who
will constantly nibble at the latter while
gathering coffee berries.
Carefully dried. reduced to an impal-
pable powder and served with honey and
milk, kola makes an agreeable beverage,
which is said to equal in flavor and excel
in nutritive qualities the finest cocoa.