Cocoa-growing in New

Guinea

IN a letter to the Editor of the Pacific Islands Monthly, Mr. J. Nixon-West wood, of London, who was formerly a planter in the South Seas, makes some comment on the cocoa industry in New Guinea “l have read the May issue with great interest,” he writes, “but cannot say that I agree with the New Guinea authorities on agricultural questions.

“I have yet to learn that the young would-be-experts who are attached to agricultural divisions can gather much information of use to the planter by lightning visits to various parts of the world. When all is said and done the methods employed in the production of cocoa in the West Indies and Ceylon, etc., are not in any way applicable to the South Seas.

“The system, although perhaps based on one, may I say, formula, must neces sarily be altered according to climatic conditions, and any man who grows cocoa and who studies the local conditions sufficiently well to enable him to take care of the fermentation of the beans and then properly cures them cannot fail to produce a good marketable product. All the visits in the world are useless unless the man who is the actual grower realises the foregoing.

“I am afraid I must repeat myself when I say that if the Adminstration of New Guinea is really anxious to produce mar ketable cocoa beans it has, at its door, experts in the shape of German planters who are resident in Samoa, and having worked with them I can vouch for their knowledge of this branch of agriculture.”

Mr. Allan Bowler has accepted a seat on the board of directors of Viti Levu Gold N.L., of Fiji.