Vol. XIV. No. 334. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



BRITISH EAST A FRH '.I .1 NNUAL REPORT ON 

 THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 1912-13. 



It is a matter for considerable regret that the Protect 

 orate of British East Africa has been brought within rangi 

 of war operations, for th Annual Ri porl under review makes 

 ii evident that this great Possession is in a state of much 

 prosperity as regards trade and agriculture. The publication 

 opens with an interesting table showing the comparative 

 values of the various articles exported and imported from 

 Mombasa during the last six years. \n examination of the 

 export figures for 1912-13 shows that during recent years 

 i large and continuous increase has taken place in the 

 amount and value of such exported products as copra, cotton, 

 beans and peas, ostrich feathers, and especially maize 



(Indian corn). Considerati f the corresponding table of 



exports brings "in tin' interesting fact that British East 

 Africa, although it is to a large extent a tropical country, 

 does not produce any sugar. The imports of sugar during 

 1912-13 were worth some £70,000. It is possible that in 

 the near future agricultural systems may be modified in this 

 Protectorate, and that the cultivation of sugar-cane maybe 

 substituted tor that of other crops, the produce of which 



may no longer be in such great demand. 



(in account of the mure or less temperate climate 

 experienced up-country, the raising <>f live stock is one of 

 the chief industries in British East Africa. 



Passing over the general remarks made in regard to cattle 

 and sheep matters that are of no great interest to the West 

 Indies we may reproduce one oi two statements made 

 concerning the pig industry in the Protectorate. It has 

 been recorded in the Agricultural News that a central bacon 

 factory lias for some time been satisfactorily established 

 in East Africa, and the report on this concern is of interest. 

 It appears that during tic past year or two unfavourable 

 results have followed the execution of a policy whereby the 

 company lias, in the past, purchased from breeders, animals 

 'i' pective as to suitability for the manufacture of 

 th.- company's products. A shorl time ago the factory 

 decided to accept only high-class bacon animals; consequently 

 settlers were left with a large number of pigs, which they had 

 lo dispose of elsewhere at very low and unprofitable prices. 

 The country is well adapted for pig breeding, and the 

 production of good bacon i- beyond doubt, for consignments 



which have been sent to the h< markets have realized 



within 2*. per cwt. of the best Danish. Thus, provided high- 

 grade breeding stock is kept, ami tin 1 animals are well fed 

 from birth, and primed upon food - ,. h as maize (which gives 

 solidity to the flesh produced), the industry is certain to 

 become well established, and extreim I ) profitable. 



The account of the various crop cultivations in British 

 East Africa is dealt with in a genei il way by the Director in 



his preliminary report, and in a di tailed manner by the 



Chief of the Economic Plants Division (Mr. H. Powell, 



rly of the Agricultural De] rttnent oi St. Vincent, 



B.W.I. ), in his special report on i ononiic plant-. One of 



-ihe principal cultivations ,; P cl irate is thai ol sisal. 



i in page 13 of the rej lata ai bowing th 



yields which have l> i rded from time to time I i ems 



thai in British East ii ica I tt>. of fib 



average, from sevi n .,-s. < In an avi i 



plant yields 160 leaves, rhis figure i good for 



German East Afi I | , ,..,■.. 



stated to be jusl shorl of 3 tons. [nMr.'Po 



some useful information is given in connexion with the same 



subject. < 'n nl of its n died no id< 



:r will be n oi another page in this 



journal. 



A most ,: I I, op is cofi , h pal 



of the exports for [91 ! \ ", beingjusl doubl 

 previous year, and gr< i i -till than thosi its. 



A slight scare has been i n ited thn ugh the discoverj of the 

 leaf fungus Uemdeia Vastatrix, but there is no reason to 

 believe that the fungus lias, only just been introduced, and 

 consequently the circuni I its observation should 



necessarily interfere with an extension of coffee grown 



Correspondence with India li ed On with a vii « 



to obtaining information as to the best methods of control. 



A crop with whirl! much progress has been made as 



regards yield of produce, is maize. As alreadj stated, the 



quantity exported has been i tinually rising, but the quality 



is not of a high standard, and this is said to be due larg 

 to the prices paid to nativi _ usually th for 



| lected as for mixed \ tin; in i onsequence, there is little 

 incentive to grade. It is stated that there is great need for 

 a large warehouse, to hold some 2,000 to 3,000 tons of corn, 

 where each bag of corn can be inspected, and stored until 

 shipped. Although no regular system of examination I 

 been in vogue, careful efforts have been made to check the 

 export of weevilly maize, and when the weevils cted 



in any consignment, the whole was submitted to fumigation. 

 It is hoped, in the future, to be able to follow the example of 

 South Africa, and institute Government brands for Indian 

 com. In the coastal regions, where the climate is more 

 intensely tropical, coconuts are a thriving crop: l.ul for 301 

 time the trees have suffered considerably from the attack- oi 

 the palm beetle Oryctes. The Plant Inspector has been 

 travelling in this district with a view to encouraging the 

 natives to destroy infested trees, particularly those lying on 

 the ground. 



Because of the grea i variation in the climatic ndin 



of British East Africa, it is to be expected that the kind of 

 crops grown are very diverse. In fact, at the higher eleva 



tions (6,000 feet), wheat and alfalfa thrive. Mere the 



temperature ranges between 12 and 78 V. At a loi 

 level, where irrigation is possible, cotton is a sati rop 



to grow, and as already pointed out, the valne of the exports 

 of this product have rapidly increased, being 7,580 rupees in 

 1907-8, and 556,241 rupees in 1912-13 (1078 rupees —£\ 

 sterling). 



We maj conclude I his review with a few notes on the 



veterinary information incorporated in the publication, [n 



certain districts East Co I fevei and rinderpest are common 



amongst stock, whilst horses appear to. sutler considerably 

 from epizootic lymphangitis a disease well known in the 



Wesl Indies. Trials ha' be iadi to cure this disease by 



treatment with salvarsan (606). It is said that it I 

 a marked effect when used in a sufficiently early 



stag.- of the disease. Excision oi the diseased tissue, 

 followed by the application of iodine, is also pi 

 with good results in the earlj stage- of the disease. In 

 order to prevent -pre.,, i. all affected animals are isolated if 



possible. Amongst pig . -wine fevei and anthrax ],.,,. been 



somewhat prevalenl 



