for a staple farm crop. In the writer's opinion this 

 has been done, and wheat growing is now one of the 

 many profitable crops of British East Africa. 



The eternal struggle that farmers have to wage rust. 

 against weeds in a tropical country has also been 

 minimized by the obtaining of a four-five months 

 maturing wheat. In the case of wheat, as in all 

 other lines of agriculture, we must evei bear in 

 mind that seed selection and breeding must be prac- 

 tised continually, not only to keep up the grade 

 but to improve the quantity and quality. This 

 should not be as hard to do here as m those 

 countries where the appearance of rust is inter- 

 mittent, for here in East Africa rust, like the poor of 

 the cities, is always with us, and we therefore have 

 an ever-present incentive and opportunity to over- 

 come it. 



Here, more than in most other countries factors of 

 managerial efficiency is the main factor governing success. 

 economic production of wheat. In a land of con- 

 ditions very different from those most people have 

 worked under — tropical sun, high altitude, un- 

 civilized aborigines and stupid biillocks — one must 

 be prepared to forget many of our home practices. 

 Local nature is stern in demanding respect for her 

 idiosyncrasies, and one must work in with local con- 

 ditions and not against them. 



Inhere are several fundamental factors to which 

 one should give mature consideration before plung- 

 ing into wheat fanning in East Africa. On the 

 other hand there are several good reasons why one 

 may regard wheat farming as a "sure thing" and 

 likely to remain so for some years to come. Its 

 most obvious advantage is that the local market 

 provides the fanner with a ready outlet for his 

 product. Wheat fanning with us is entirely exten- 

 sive farming. For the man who likes to fiddle time 

 away in a light easy job, content with light work 

 and small returns, it holds no attraction or profit. 

 But for the man who glories in breaking-in nature 

 to his ends on the big open plains with relentless 

 plough and harvester, wheat farming has a deal in 

 store. 



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