the output was shipped — the bulk of the crops being 

 required by the local military authorities for the 

 native troops and carriers. With the possible excep- 

 tion of maize, beans is the most profitable crop for 

 the new settler to make a start with. They are 

 easy to raise, are less afFected by drought than most 

 other crops, yield heavily, give a quick return and 

 are easily marketable. Were it not that they 

 necessitate so much hand labour at harvesting, they 

 would be more generally grown, but except in those 

 districts where labour is both plentiful and cheap 

 they are planted only as a catch crop. The 

 Canadian W^onder, Rose Coco and Noyou an Blanc 

 varieties have up to the present proved most 

 popular, but of late the Madagascar bean has sprung 

 into prominence, and the Soya bean is receiving 

 increased attention since it has been found that 

 satisfactory yields are obtainable from acclimatised 

 seed. Yields vary considerably among the difi^crent 

 varieties, Canadian Wonder beinjg one of the 

 heaviest croppers, half a ton per acre being about the 

 average return. 



BARLEY. 



Barley of excellent malting quality is raised in tkn b.\gs 

 several districts, and samples sent to vSouth Africa per acre. 

 were favourably reported on and encouraging oflFers 

 made for quantities. Yields of up to ten bags to the 

 acre have been obtained. Very little trouble is 

 experienced from rust. 



OATS. 



So far ver\' little success has attended the efforts not yet 

 being made to obtain suitable strains of seed, but proven. 

 experiments with this end in view are being con- 

 tinued, and it is hoped that by the aid of selection, 

 acclimatisation and hybridisation suitable strains will 

 be isolated. On new land comparatively good yields 

 are obtained, but rust soon makes its presence felt, 

 and as there are so many other crops offering the 

 settler better financial returns, oats are not persevered 

 with. 



SIM-SIM. 



Sim-sim or Sesamum is largely grown by the -^ coast 

 natives in the Nyanza Province — the seed being catch crop. 

 largely used by them for food — and during the past 



89 



