sandy loam produces peaches, plums, figs, etc., in 

 excellence, and here also succeed almonds, pears, 

 citrus and apples. In the red soil all these do well, 

 and in addition the more tropical fruits, such as 

 mangoes, succeed. Here, where the presence of the 

 leleshwa scrub denotes a more than usual lim.e con- 

 tent in the soil, apples thrive and fruit in a most 

 extraordinary manner. 



All the European vegetables succeed, including vegetables. 

 onions, on the sandy loams, and on these flourish 

 such things as rhubarb, sea kale, asparagus, straw- 

 berries and raspberries. 



It may be interesting here to note the wide i-xoTic 

 range of exotic plants which have adapted themselves plants. 

 to the varied soils and chmates of the district. In 

 two neighbouring gardens one may see the cowslip, 

 foxglove, daffodil, the English oak and the horse- 

 chestnut, growing alongside the banana, the orange 

 and pineapple. A row in. the garden of one of the 

 ■ earliest settlers contains a coffee bush, European ash, 

 sycamore, elm, walnut, English oak, the edible olive 

 and a fig tree, while on the garden fences climb the 

 sweet-scented honeysuckle, and on the house the 

 ever-green ivy. Here under the equator one can 

 rejoice in the possession of a purely English summer 

 garden, for every English summer flower seems to 

 flourish. 



The parts adjoining the olive and cedar forest are 

 peculiarly reminiscent of parts of Britain. Such 

 common plants as the dock, stinging nettle, butter- 

 cup, vSt. John's wort, lobelia, thistle, the bramble or 

 blackberry, bracken, forget-me-not, geranium, the 

 wild violet and other familiar plants are found, and 

 these, in common with the presence at certain 

 seasons of quail, the lapwing, swallow and wild 

 duck, combine to remind the colonist from home of 

 " scenes in strong remembrance set " — youthful days 

 in the old country. 



The Solai Vallev is a district where the planter, gexhra[ 

 the farmer and the pastoralist can succeed. It is a 

 healthy and pleasant valley to live in. It is a very 

 British part of the "Britain of the Tropics." 



W. J. Dawson. 



09 



