"June, 1910,] 



489 



Saps mid Exudations, 



est details, and further we were most 

 hospitably entertained. Nothing was a 

 trouble, and to make us comfortable 

 seemed quite a pleasure. It is not my 

 intention to compare or criticise the 

 styles and methods employed on one 

 estate as compared with those on 

 another in such a way as -would lead to 

 the identification of these estates. This 

 would be invidious and ill-becoming 

 under circumstances where all were 

 equally agreeable and obliging. I theie- 

 fore refrain from naming the various 

 properties individually and shall content 

 myself by referring to them generally. 



The configuration of the country, 

 though in general flatter than the 

 Mirtini-Mazeras district ot B.E.A., is not 

 unlike it in some respects. A fine range 

 of mountains, the Usambara, makes a 

 conspicuous background to several of 

 the plantations. One railway runs from 

 Tanga to Mombo some 80 to 90 miles, 

 and another from Daressalam to Moro- 

 goro, while there are good roads from 

 Tanga in various directions where rick- 

 shaws can be used. We had a walk one 

 day of about 20 miles from Ngomeni and 

 visited a very large property on which 

 we spent the better part of two days 

 and nights, then we had another good 

 walk to the railway at Muhesa seeing 

 several other Plantations on the way. 



What strikes one particularly is the 

 similarity of soil throughout, a rich 

 loamy chocolate approaching a hue of 

 purple in colour, only near the coast it is 

 rather more "sandy. The soil is very 

 deep and easily penetrated, nothing 

 that I have seen in B.E.A. is comparable 

 to it, and it is specially adapted to the 

 growth of the Manihot Glaziovii which 

 is the variety universally cultivated. 

 Of course, other branches of the rubber 

 family are exploited and experimented 

 with but not seriously cultivated. The 

 climatic conditions and the character of 

 the soil are all that could be desired for 

 growing the Ceara to perfection, and our 

 neighbours are very fortunate in having 

 found a product so splendidly suitable 

 to their country. It makes one's teeth 

 water when comparison is made with 

 our scantier and less kindly soil, the 

 natural effect of which is a slower 

 growth of the tree and a retarding of 

 the producing period. All the estates 

 visited were in beautiful order "spick 

 and span" to the last degree. The 

 thoroughness of everything as far as 

 cultivation is concerned was most pro- 

 nounced. 



After soil and climate the next import- 

 ant matter is the item of seed, and here 

 our friends have to be commended for 

 their carefulness and foresight. No one 

 62 



in G.E.A. would think of using seed that 

 had not been gathered from a thoroughly 

 mature tree and kept under suitable 

 conditions for a couple of years- Selec- 

 tion is a most important matter in the 

 betterment of tree life, as well as in the 

 animal creation, and here I am sure we 

 shall score heavily when the time comes 

 when we know something ot the genea- 

 logy and condition of the seed that we 

 are putting in the ground. At present 

 the seed question with us in B. E. A. 

 is a vexed one. It is only natural that 

 growers should retain the best qualities 

 for their own requirements, while 

 seconds and mixed lots become the arti- 

 cles of commerce. In B. E. A. so-called 

 German seed can be purchased at from 

 1 to If rupees per lb., but it is not the 

 selected quality. The cheapest seed used 

 for sowing at stake in G. E. A, costs 

 Rs. 2| there. With the middleman's 

 profit, cost ot transit, etc., this would 

 mean about Rs. 4 per lb. here. Yet at 

 this figure it is no more expensive than 

 the lower priced article, for only three 

 seeds need be placed in a pocket while 

 6 to 9 of the other are necessary, In 

 the result it is not half as costly when 

 the health and quality of the young 

 plants have been taken into consider- 

 ation. I would rather pay four rupees 

 per lb. for thoroughly selected and pro- 

 perly matured seed than one rupee for 

 an article I know nothing about. These 

 are points not always kept in view, I 

 fear, when laying in supplies ot seed. 

 How much heart burning and disap- 

 pointment are caused by poor germin- 

 ation, andxhow often is the plant a poor 

 sickly weakling when it does come, all 

 of which could be avoided by a proper 

 selection of seed. 



It is the universal custom to sow ' at 

 stake ' in G. E. A. instead of transplant- 

 ing from the nursery. No nurseries are 

 necessary there, and from the nature 

 of the soil much smaller holes suffice 

 for receiving the seed than with us. 

 A boy's fez turned upside down repre- 

 sents the shape and dimensions of the 



Eocket, say 6 inches by 6 inches, while 

 ere, 16 inches by 16 inches is usual. 



For speedy germination the following 

 are among the plans adopted : When 

 rain is expected soil is spread on a 

 sheet of corrugated iron to the depth 

 of a couple of inches, the seed is placed 

 in this and well watered, it is then 

 covered with another sheet of corru- 

 gated iron and placed in the sun. The 

 upper sheet is removed frequently 

 to permit of further watering and a 

 hot moist temperature is maiutaiued. 

 In three days germination has taken 

 place and, provided weather conditions 



