[October, 1912. 



AGRICULTURAL PROGRESS IN UGANDA. 



The Report of the Agricultural Department of Uganda for the year 

 ending 31st March, 1912, records steady progress with cotton and the 

 extension of the planting industry. 



Cotton Cultivation. 



With regard to cotton we read that the seed distributed to natives by 

 Government amounted to 207 tons compared with 133 tons and 70 tons in 

 the two preceding years. The transport facilities are being strained to 

 their utmost to deal with the present output. The Protecorate is still a 

 very long way from reaching its limit as a cotton-producing country. 

 The most important woi k which the Department of Agriculture is en- 

 gaged upon is the improvement of the quality of cotton — both staple and 

 grade. The seed farms originally established with this object have been 

 given up as failures, and a plant-brpeding station established where seed 

 selection is being carried on with a view to improving both staple and 

 yield. The newly-introduced long-staple varieties are found to give a 

 much larger yield. "Allen's" and "Sunflower" varieties have proved 

 immensely superior to the Egyptian. "Allen's" produces a strong silky 

 staple averaging about H inch in length and is valued at from 9"25d. to 

 9 - 50cf. with American " Middling " at 5'93d. and " fully good fair " Abassi at 

 lO^d. " Sunflower " did not produce so long a staple nor fetch so good a 

 price. These two varieties gave well over 1,000 lbs. of seed cotton per 

 acre, and on ginning yielded an output of from 30 to 32 per cent lint. 

 Thus the yield of liat per acre is well over 300 lbs. 



Rubber. 



The cultivation of Rubber (chiefly Hevea) is extending rapidly, and 

 though the growth is inclined to be rather slow, the trees are healthy. 

 The most suitable land is within the Sleeping Sickness area. Several 

 estates are favouring Ceara rubber in view of the advantages of a quicker 

 return and the extreme ease with which it can be propagated. Ceara 

 is being cultivated with considerable success in German East Africa, 

 where several large estates are devoting their attention to Manicoba 

 rubber with results that appear to be eminently satisfactory. The 

 method of tapping which is promising is the system of vertical pricking 

 with the multiple pricking knife. 



Castilloa and Funtumia, wbich have been planted to some extent in 

 the past, are of little importance as plantation crops. 



Ceara in the Government plantation has been planted 13' x 13', but 

 planting at various distances (12' x 12', 14' x 14', and 16' x 16 ) is also 

 being tried. Tapping is being done on the half herring-bone system to 

 half the circumference, paring and pricking immediately afterwards. 

 The height tapped is 4' or 5', the lateral cuts being 1' apart at an angle of 

 45°, No chemicals were used, but in some instances a dilute solution of 

 ammonia was placed in the cups to prevent coagulation, with satisfactory 

 results. The coagulant known as Purub was employed with advantage* 

 XUe tapped trees are quite healthy, 



