are fairly considerable : so much so that they would 

 prove discouraging to many people if the other side 

 of the business were not considered. Wheat being a 

 crop that can be efficiently handled at almost every 

 stage by machinery, the cost of labour in producing, 

 harvesting and marketing it, is small. This is an 

 important consideration, as should a crop fail the loss 

 is comparatively small compared with other crops 

 requiring large quantities of labour. Although yields 

 as high as 26 bushels to the acre have been obtained 

 during the past two years in certain parts of the 

 Highlands, an average good crop may be taken as 

 four 200 lb. (nett) bags per acre, which is worth 

 about ;(^4-io-o. The costs of production can be, ami 

 are, easily kept luider £2, so that a good margin of 

 profit is left to the grower. 



The present local consumption is equal to the markets. 

 production of 60,000 acres, and as the wheat con- 

 suming population is rapidly increasing, the wheat 

 farmer need have no anxiety about markets for many 

 years to come. Wheat farming works in so well 

 with the farming of livestock that both can be made 

 very profitable on the one farm, economy of labour 

 being effected by the combination. As a rule, where 

 wheat is grown horses do exceptionally well, so that 

 the wheat farmer can without detriment to his main 

 undertaking engage in a branch of stock breeding of 

 great promise. 



No attempt has been made to estimate the initial conclusion. 

 capital required for a successful wheat proposition. 

 Given the broad outlines, the prospective settler 

 should satisfy himself on the spot as to the rest. 

 Those of us engaged in the industry in East Africa 

 believe that wheat growing will stand the most care- 

 ful investigation, and would welcome more planters 

 of the right stamp. But we do not tell them that 

 wheat is the best thing in the farming fine, for there 

 is no best type of farming, whatever individuals 

 successful in a particular branch may say to the con- 

 trary. 



The writer will be very pleased to answer any 

 inquiries from intending planters on points raised or 

 suggested in this essay. 



A. L. HARRIS. 



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