November, 1912. 



389 



AGRICULTURE IN NYASALAND. 



TOBACCO. 



The Report of the Director of Agriculture, Nyasaland Protectorate, 

 for the year ended 31st March, 1912, has been issued. The acreage under 

 tibacco in the Protectorate was 4,507 as compared with 3,274 in the 

 previous year. The export amounted to 2,146,615 lbs. which showed an 

 increase of 441 ,978 lb9. in weight. The crop at present being harvested 

 covers an area of 7,411 acres. 



The reports of experts show that the year under review was not a 

 good one for quality, and this can be attributed to a marked absence of 

 sunshine to mellow and ripen the crop. There was a considerable quan- 

 tity of leaf which showed up green after curing. 



The Director in the report says that from conversations with some 

 leading brokers in London he formed the opinion that good ripe Maho- 

 gany with body was in greater demand than thin bright leaves of good 

 colour for cigarette manufacture. 



The Home Market for Tobacco. 



No supply of Virginian tobacco outside the American crop is attract- 

 ing so much attention as the Nyasaland product and this can be readily 

 understood when one realises that the Nyasaland crop of over two million 

 pounds is a considerable factor in the tobacco market, as the total weight 

 of tobacco cleared for consumption in the United Kingdom during 1911 

 was 91,594,642 lbs. 



There is some difficulty in getting manufacturers to try Nyasaland 

 tobacco as a constituent for mixtures, though some firms who had given 

 the tobacco a fair trial in the majority of cases had placed larger 

 orders with brokers this year than last. 



It is always a difficult matter to introduce a staplo from a new country 

 into a maiket which for years has drawn its supplies from one or two 

 recognised centres of production. People in new countries have an 

 erroneous idea that buyers are waiting expectantly for their crops whereas 

 the truth of the situation is that brokers frequently have to use tact 

 and persuation to get manufacturers to test the value of such products, 



The moisture content in tobacco should not exceed 12 to 13 per cent, 

 though in some consignments of Nyasaland tobacco it exceeded 20 per 

 cent., and, as duty is paid by weight, manufacturers are not inclined to 

 purchase tobacco containing 20 per cent, as they have to pay duty on 

 the extra water. 



It was also pointed out that tobacco packed in double canvas was 

 better than when paper and canvas is used. 



COTTON. 



The year has been a disastrous one for cotton-growers in the Shire 

 Highlands where abnormally sunless weather prevailed throughout the 

 maturation period ot the crop. 



