n6 A COLONY IN THE MAKING chap. 



mist belt, a stretch of country some 6,000 ft. high 

 with a rainfall of about 60 inches per annum, and a 

 long period of dull misty weather, and the tree 

 especially favours light, well-drained loams. Such 

 conditions are found with us, more especially at 

 Londiani, Limoru, and parts of Kyambu, and it is 

 possibly here that wattle grows the best. At the 

 same time, with us, the tree is not so particular. It 

 is growing splendidly on the plains at Njoro at a 

 height of 6,000 ft., and again with Mr. Dickinson 

 on the Ndarugo river towards Fort Hall at a height 

 of 5,000 ft., while the bark from trees in Nairobi 

 itself, and growing in shallow soil, has at 3J years 

 of age shown a percentage (over 43) of tannin which 

 surpasses anything in the Protectorate or elsewhere — 

 this too with an average rainfall of less than 40 inches. 

 Growth in the Protectorate is very rapid, owing both 

 to the soil and to the double season ; and trees are 

 ready for stripping in five or six years at the most, 

 as against six or seven in Natal, and seven or eight 

 or even longer in the Transvaal. The percentage 

 of tannin in the bark has proved equally admirable. 

 The average throughout Natal is about 34-36 per 

 cent. ; in Australia it is about 38-40 per cent. In 

 February, 1909, Mr. D. E. Hutchins, Conservator 

 of Forests, and one of the first to realise the 

 possibilities of wattle culture in the Protectorate, 

 sent five samples of bark to the Imperial Institute 

 for analysis. The highest percentage, as mentioned, 

 came from 3 J years old trees in Nairobi, while the 

 lowest, which came from a height of 7,500 ft. on the 

 Aberdares, showed 35*8. Nor was the quality 

 otherwise than good. Prices of from £% to £% 1 55. 

 per ton were quoted, a price which must be regarded 



