OUR BITER KOLA PLANTATION

OUR BITTER KOLA PLANTATION.

LOCALITY; in the part of Africa where I come from, my village was said to be blessed by the gods; according to my grand father. The gods made their soil viable for growth of bitter kola trees. This locality among others, were engaged into farming with the plantation of palm trees, bitter kola trees as their major farm trees. Within the eighteenth century, my great grand father who was known to be a great farmer and a researcher was clearing a virgin thick forest for the cultivation of an African classic yam called water yam [aballa]. He was absorbed into the work with a concept of sparing some trees every ten meters of his advancement. He was sparing those trees as it would create a climbing environment for those water yam buds. According to him, he discovered that most of these trees he spared had the same color of leaves and nature of growth. He also observed that the same variety of insects including the honey bees were seen hanging around in every part of it. He discovered that the grown ones amongst them developed beautiful round green balls that turn pale and some dark red when ripped.
He ignored these fruits arguing that it is just one of the thick forest monkey fruits. Not until his first son (Alekeja) whom he knew to be an adventuress came with a calabash of roasted yam and red palm oil. He greeted the father as he kept the food and rushed to pick this fallen seed. Agere (his father) shouted on him to desist as children of his age were not allowed to go into virgin forests because of reptiles. He insisted in picking a seed and rushing out to a cleared place to explore the seed. He first of all admired the seed as he broke it. The soft liquid filled tissue inside attracted his system and he started salivating. His father who now seated in an anthill to enjoy his meal warned him not to taste the one that will kill him. He ignored his father and went behind a grown iroko tree to stay out of his father’s sight. He first of all inserted his tongue on this tissue but realized it’s sour. He wanted to spit out but realized it was sweet at last.
He also discovered that in between the tissue are the seed. He detached the seed and started rolling it on the sand to reveal its true shape and color. He was amazed to discover a medicinal seed which some strange traders from the west have brought to their exchange place in exchange of their livestock and palm oil. He rushed to his father shouting that he has discovered the seed which they popularly called IGOGORO.
His father out of mixed emotions collected the seed and bit it into two as the taste is the only distinguishing factor. He was filled with joy when he realized it was true;
Agere first of all threatened his son not to mention the discovery to any man at home, not until they were able to clear all the sides of the forest that contained the trees. He dropped his food, he also involved his son as he was now sure of a reptile free forest knowing full well that the seed is an anti snake seed. They went deep into the forest and marked the end of the trees which is now their major target.
Within the month, they worked all day to clear the bitter kola forest and he always tranquilized his son (ALEKEJA) with palm wine so he could stay at home and avoid interaction with his play pals. In the next farming season, AGERE has become a wealthy man as people came from miles away to exchange their livestock to this wonder fruit known as bitter kola.
FARMS; when agere died, my grand father migrated with his fathers wives and children to the bitter kola farm. They lived there to take care of the farm. But one strange thing still required an audience. They wanted to enlarge the farm but in each occasion, any of its trees grown outside the primary location will dry away. He was only able to develop other trees around the old ones and fruitless ones.

Why can’t the bitter kola tree survive in other farms? His friends also wanted to establish their own kola nut farms but could not culture the bitter kola trees. It now becomes a question of why? Well, my grand father was not able to explain the reason without adding some spiritual inclinations; that the seed is sacred and should not be too common to be looked down on. Up till date, we are still leaving within the farm and recycling without exceeding the farm limit.
TREES; in our farm, the bitter kola trees has its limit of growth. It grows into full tree with plenty of branches that carries its evergreen leaves. It creates shade within some fifteen meters of its stand and creates a nice home for birds and squirrels. We have also taken note of the fact that within the corners of its growth, no snake will be found crawling, no matter how bushy. This is only a study of my grand father’s farm and did not apply to any bitter kola farm around the world. This reason was because of its seeds falling around the trees as it has a round the year period of seed production.
SEEDS; the seeds develop under the cover of its ball like flesh that has a succulent tissue inside. Depending on its formations, one ball might contain four, three, two or even one seed inside but the philosophy is that the higher the number of seeds per ball, the smaller the seeds and vise versa. There could be a purposefully harvesting of these balls, whereby we climb and pluck them but that was done only when we had urgent monetary needs. But naturally, the balls got ripped and falls conveniently which now reduces the job to picking and braking.

PROCESSING; my great grand father conceived a method of processing the seed, and ever since, we have not desisted from the style.
After picking it from the trees, we went home and spread it all over our compound. The children and even with their mother would be braking it with their pistil. After the braking, the seeds which are attached to the tissues will be removed. After every basket full, we moved them to a corner where we dug pits. We poured the seeds on the pit and now spread a lot of ash from our fire wood coking place.
The effect of the ash is to cause friction which guarantees easy breakdown and decay of the slippery tissues. This pit will favorably be covered by the sand we dug out of it. This is to curse easy decay. After four days, we dig it up from the pit and start to press out the seeds from the tissue. The seeds would be taken to the stream where we washed it clean. We subsequently spread it in the sun to dry it and now packaged it in sacks for sale.
LIFE SPAN; the already processed bitter-kola has no definite life span. I can say that a healthy bitter kola seed can last for five years and still retain its medicinal value. The longer it stays, it dries up and the seed shrinks. The shrinking is due to lost of water molecules in it but the active ingredients will still undoubtedly be there. In some cases, we would store the seed when the exchange value was low till when it appreciates.
USES
Medicine; in my locality, biter kola was valued immensely because of its sophisticated uses. It’s a must have for every family in my domain.
Sour throat; In the treatment of cough,. A cough patient in my locality will just throw a seed of biter kola in his mouth and will be going about his daily activities. This leads to slow extraction of the juice which fights cough seriously.
If in a critical situation, the biter kola seed will be roasted on fire and ground into powder. The black powder will be mixed with palm kernel oil or honey and the patient leaks the paste, it fights the cough immediately.
; the local singers who sings in local gatherings in my locality takes bitter kola before going for such events. This clears their throat and increases their vocal production.
Snake/dog bites; when a dangerous animal bites you in my locality, the first medication given to you will be bitter kola. This undoubtedly subsidizes the reaction of the venom by enhancing the function of your antibodies.
It is also spread within the compound of every home as it wards of snakes.
Menstrual regulation; a woman with menstrual disorders takes a bite of biter kola and the problem are settled. More especially, if there is a delay of menstruation, the woman eats a seed or two of biter kola and menstruations might start where she was standing.
Stomach ache/ ulcer; bitter kola was used to cure stomach problems by just chewing to your satisfaction. It is also used in the attraction of dirt. When you drop a seed of biter kola inside impure water, the dirt in the water starts to accumulate around the seed leaving other sides of the bowel considerably neat. There is thousand and one medicinal use of biter kola. It can be administered to anybody, no matter the age. The only side effect is temporal disorder of the taste bud but is restored within few minutes.
Anti toxin; judging with the African context, a traditional African witch doctor can manipulate some herbs and while given to anybody inside food or wine, the person dies out of the poison. This toxin has defiled even foreign medications but a person with one seed of bitter kola in his mouth can eat the poison without being harmed. This is however, the only means of succeeding these diabolic poisons. My grand father lived over hundred years with the help of his bitter kola farm which was part of his daily routine. He escaped the attack of these witch doctors and their patronizers by always having some seeds of bitter kola in his possession everywhere he went to.


CULTURE:
In Nigeria where I belong, the Igbo tribe is known with rich cultural diversity they try to keep the behavior of their four fathers without digging to find out the economic benefits of such acts. It is a respect of pride and continuity.
In marriage events, bitter kola is used as a welcome and acceptance conduct. Any family you enters that presented bitter kola to you assures your safety and humane acceptance of your personality. It is exchanged during marriages, funeral rites, coronation ceremonies, naming ceremonies, house dedication etc. up till date, the use of bitter kola can not be overemphasized, I keep asking, are there no research institutes that could give us a breakdown of the active ingredients in bitter kola. I can stand in to supply materials from our farm. For those that know and use the contents of bitter kola in their pharmaceutical productions, I can supply you the product. It is right there in my grandfather’s farm.
Ugwuja George