Experiments With New Crops

And Fruits In Papua.

Pt. Moresby, Nov. 28.

THE native coffee plantations at San gara, in the Northern Division, with their headquarters at Imanaturu in charge of Patrol Officer S. E. Smith, are showing great promise. The system is a part of a Government scheme to teach industries to the natives of Papua, to give them interests in place of the cruder customs it has been found neces sary to abolish, and to master their in ertia due to these abolitions.

Natives working on these plantations are exempt from taxation. Each village in the district has its plantation, on which a native under supervision of the controller works 80 days of the year— a native of the village, working under indenture, being, of course, excepted.

On the sale of the coffee by the Gov ernment, from each plantation, half of the proceeds go to the natives of the village (to those who have worked). The other half the Government claims for the Native Taxation Fund—a fund held in trust by the Government for the na tives of the Territory, Both Robusta and Stenophylla are grown on the plantations—and as both varieties are growing well, the output is rapidly increasing. Already, for the year, nine tons have been sold, the amount received being over £800. Robusta at

present fetches 9d. per lb. for the Papuan Government.

The Papuan Government, besides growing coffee, is experimenting in tropical fruits from other countries at Imanaturu (Sangara). It has planted fruit trees from India, Malaya, and Tahiti.

The plants growing are Mangosteen, Durian, Rambutan, Avocado Pear, Grape Fruit and Tahiti Bread-fruit which are ell doing well. Rambutan and the Avo cado Pear are already bearing, and the others seem likely to flourish.

As the experiments in fruit trees show good results, it will be an opportunity for residents and planters settled in dis tricts similar to Imanaturu, to plant those trees which prove the most suc cessful and so increase the variety of tropical fruits in the Territory—which, except for a few more enterprising plantations, is often limited to pawpaws, pineapples, bananas, granadillas and seporas.

An Indian pea called Dhal is also being planted, as an experiment. It was thought to be a good additional food for Papuans: it also grows successfully on the station. In India it is widely grown and eaten by the natives—but the Pa puan does not take readily to innova

tions. Importations of the Government, extending many years back, such as manioc, maize, pumpkins and tomatoes, are now widely eaten by the Papuan, together with beans pawpaws and oranges. So, in time, he may adopt the Indian pea. It is, however, tasteless and uninteresting as a food, though superior to rice in some respects.

The Tahiti bread-fruit is said to be better than the Papuan variety, con taining vitamines of sorts and is a big ger fruit and of a more delicate flavour.