Malaita Natives

Grow Cocoa and Rice

From Our Own Correspondent

Honiara, June 30.

THE Acting Senior Agricultural Officer, BSIP (Mr. C. B. Mead) recently visited Malaita and has stated that Auki, the Agricultural Department’s two acres of cocoa, which is now two years old, is generally healthy and thriving.

These trees should start bearing in another year.

With seed supplied by the Roman Catholic Mission at Rokera, Malaita, several other small areas of cocoa have been planted near Auki by Malaita natives, arrangements hav ing been made by the District Commissioner, Malaita (Mr. V. J.

Andersen).

There are quite a number of small areas of cocoa throughout the Pro tectorate and these could provide seed for a considerable area of new planting each year.

At Hauhui, the Government’s Community Development settlement on Malaita, over two acres of rice were being harvested, producing a good crop. Hulling is being done by hand-operated wooden denkis intro duced by the Agricultural Depart ment. Considerable interest is be ing taken in these machines and a number of variants have been con structed by the natives in an endeavour to find the best method of hulling. Interest in rice seems to be spreading in the area and seed is being sold to natives in sur rounding villages. f Warrant Officer August Watson, of the Fiji Military Forces has been awarded the Efficiency Medal.