the higher land in the direction of the Pathological 

 Laboratory. In the first field there are 5472 bearing 

 trees mostly planted in November, iqti, the vacan- 

 cies being filled up the following spring. In the 

 second field the bearing trees number 8564, nearly 

 all of which were established in 191 2. The crop 

 of cured parchment coffee from both fields amounted, 

 during the past year, to 19,620 lbs. — an average yield 

 per tree of about ilb. 6 ozs., the bulk of which was 

 disposed of at Nairobi at 27 cents per pound. Coffee 

 leaf disease was present in places, but the control 

 measures adopted prevented any serious harm being 

 done. 



COFFEE The pulping of the whole of the 191 6- 17 crop 



CURING was done with a small Jamaica pulper, located in the 



MACHINERY. main nursery grounds, where the curing was also 

 carried out. As the coming year's crop is estimated 

 at 12 to 15 tons of cured parchment coft'ee, proper 

 facilities for dealing therewith have been provided 

 adjoining the spring. A Gordon "A." pulper has 

 been installed, and the necessary fermenting and 

 washing tanks, etc. The utilization of the new site 

 necessitated the draining of a small swamp which 

 was filled in with stones and other suitable material 

 at hand. An upper terrace where the coffee beans 

 will be cured has been laid out, the whole work 

 necessitating the removal of about 640 cubic yards 

 of material. Houses for storing the coffee have 

 been erected. 



FLAX. 



Flax thrives well at Kabete. A retting tank, 

 small hand breaker and a treadle scutching machine 

 are in use on the farm. The demonstrations initiated 

 by the late Mr. R. Dedonckele in the treatment of 

 flax are being continued by his successor. During 

 the past year several settlers interested in flax 

 growing indentured a number of their boys for 

 a few months to receive training in the treatment of 

 the plant. 



CITRUS. Much useful work is being done by the Citrus 



Expert in the direction of the establishment of a 

 citrus industry in the Protectorate. 3660 budded 

 plants of assorted oranges, lemons, Tahiti lime, and 

 grape fruit, were sent out during 1916-17. A con- 

 siderably larger number of budded plants are in the 

 nurseries, and will be ready for disposal during next 



IHO 



