Had it not been for disease making its appear- the future. 

 ance among the plantations at an early stage in their 

 development, and subsequently the outbreak of war, 

 the prospects of coflfee planting in the Highlands 

 would probably have been held forth as East Africa's 

 paramount attraction for the intending colonist, to 

 the exclusion of everything else. At one time there 

 was everj- likehhood of this happening, but the 

 appearance of disease chastened the unduly optimistic, 

 and the period of depression following the outbreak 

 of war gave time for reflection. 



We have now been able to balance up accounts 

 and arrive at an accurate estimate of the situation. 

 For the tropical agriculturalist, especially those who 

 have already had experience of that branch of plant- 

 ing, coffee should prove the greatest attraction the 

 country has to offer. But for the inexperienced it 

 should be weighed in the balance — after arrival in 

 the country — with the several other branches of agri- 

 culture that have proved at least equally successful. 

 With the possible exception of flax — the price of 

 which is at present abnormally inflated — no other 

 crop may shew the same return per acre, but when 

 all the circumstances have been taken into considera- 

 tion it will be seen that coffee planting gives no 

 greater return than might reasonabh' be expected 

 of it. That it does give a reasonable return on the 

 capital invested is above question, and that it is 

 likely to continue so doing is a safe assumption. 

 East African coffee has now finuly established its 

 position on the world's markets. As, being of a 

 different class, it does not compete with the coarser 

 sorts exported from Brazil and neighbouring 

 countries, it would not be much affected as regards 

 prices by increased exports from these countries. 

 There is no fear of over-production for many years to 

 come. Consequently prices should remain finn, and 

 as the costs of production are not likely to increase to 

 any serious extent, the nett returns should not be 

 much less than they are to-day. 



I am indebted to Claud R. Watson Esq., of acknow- 

 Khadini, Nairobi, and J. Gerald Ferguson Esq., ledgments. 

 General Mana,ger of the Uganda and East Africa 

 Coffee Curing Co., Ltd., for invaluable assistance in 

 the compilation of this article. 



THE EDITOR. 



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