Prospects for the Production of Tung Oil in East Africa A Comparison of the Results Attained in the Trials of Aleurites Fordii and A. Montana

Abstract

This subject was one of those discussed at the Agricultural Research Conference held at Amani in February, 1936. In opening the discussion, Mr. Nowell said that trials of Aleurites sp. had been going on in East Africa for several years. The original stimulus came from the British Paint Research Association, who found supplies inadequate for their nee s. Attention was at first concentrated on A. Fordii, good seed of which was readily obtainable from Florida. A small amount of seed of A. montana from China was distributed, but only a low percentage germinated. The memoranda before them which are printed below] from all five mainland territories showed how wide spread the trials had been. On the whole, it appeared that A. Montana grew without trouble, but A. Fordii, where it would grow at all, needed to be treated as an orchard tree. Therefore, under East African conditions, montana was much the more likely to survive. It has been grown successfully at Morogoro (1,200 ' feet) and Sotik (6,000 feet). At Amani it flourished. Two hundred acres were being planted, and there should be seed to spare in 1937.