Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1908-05-03
AN INTERESTING ADDRESS.
G. n. Pape, 'o4, Tells About Western
Africa.

the Development of Agriculture IN
Western Africa. Since leaving here
Mr.. Pape has been in the employ OF
the Colonial and Industrial Bureau as
inspector of stations and later as gen
eral manager of the whole district OF
Togo Lately the bureau has dissolved
and he is now working for the Germon
government.
The speaker told of his trip from
Galveston to Iona via Bremen and
pointed out the beauties Of the shores
along which they passed. From Iona
his baggage was hauled by negroes to
the interior to the post to which he had
been assigned. Here his duties began
in earnest. Equipment stations, gins
and demonstration schools had to be
visited and inspected. Many of these
schools were under the direction of
negroes who were graduates of Booker
Washington's school. Mr.. Pape now
told of the different products raised in
his part of Africa and the points
brought out were as follows:
Cotton of both the sea island, and
Il e tree variety grows well though the
upland species does not have tae same
success.
The planting Is done so that the cot
ton will mature before the dry season.
The cotton is generally bought by gin
ners and ginned and sold by them It's
price in the markets of Europe is gener
ally one cent more than American cot.
ton brings. This is probably due to the
careful ginning and baling.
Much rubber is exported from this
part of the country though wild rub.
Der is becoming exhausted. A corpor-
alton has been formed. because of this
scarcity, to cultivate rubber trees.
When the trees are first cut and the
white juice collected the trees are
inches in diameter. This process is
repeated every six months and the rub.
Der prepared for the market. In Togo
rubber brings S1.25 per pound and all
that the natives produce is sold there
at that price.
The cocoa tree is of interest be.
cause of the peculiar way in which the
fruit comes out; not as on the ordin.
airy tree but from the stem or heavy
parts of the tree. This fruit is exten.
sively cultivated in West Togo where
the tree reaches a height of s feet
The fruit is the size of pear and con.
tains the beans which are the only
part of value. These beans are fer
mented and dried and then ground and
exported in this form. oil is extract
ed from the meal and the meal left is
what we find in the kitchen. The beans
bring about Is cents per pound in
Togo.
Another cultivated product Is the
cocoanut which grows in clusters of
to 10 on the cocoanut palm.
The oil palm is seldom cultivated
though at present it produces the
largest export product of Togo. It's
fruits are the palm kernels which grow
in masses between the leaves. The
outside cover of the nut contains a red
oil which is extracted and used the
world over as cylinder oil. The kernel
of the nut resembles the hazel nut and
in Europe white oil is gotten from It.
Much slsal hemp is produced in
Togo. 1t is produced from the sisal
agave, plant which comes from Yucca.
tan, Mexico.
The butter tree is peculiar in that Is
grows a nut of almost pure butter.
This nut is used on the table by the
natives and is also exported to Europe. |
Many food stuffs are grown in Togo;
such as corn, which is not only used at
home but which Is exported in large |
quantities. yams, okra, pepper, tomatoes
and beans. The yams, which have no
sweet tastes,are about Is or20 times as
large as our sweet potatoes and it is
not rare thing for them to weigh 3J
Or 40 pounds. They are used principal
y for food by the natives.
Bananas and pineapples, among 9TH
sr fruits, are used as articles of food
~ the natives.
The papaga grows wild and in six
months a single stem will produce the
ruit which is much like a muskmelon
n taste and appearance
The silk cotton tree produces a
Town which is used as a substitute for
Gathers in pillows and mattresses.
Among the other things the coffee
rec is found, though its cultivation is
lot extensive. The coffee produced,
however, is of a good variety.
AS one would expect in this tropical
country there are a great many fires.
from the middle of October to March
here Is no rain and the grass which