Miscellaneous. 



448 



[Mat, 1912. 



several English, French, American and 

 Swiss choice breeds have been introduced 

 with success, especially the Durham and 

 Brown Swiss. 



The hide industry in Peru is one of 

 growing importance. The quantity of 

 wool exported is over 4,000 tons. Peru 

 has the advantage of producing besides 

 sheep's wool that of the llama, the 

 alpaca and the vicuna, the latter being 

 highly esteemed tor its fineness. The 

 introduction of Patagonian sheep for 

 cross breeding is one of the recent de- 

 velopments of the pastoral industry. 



BRITISH EAST AFRICA: 

 OPPORTUNITIES ON THE COAST FOR 

 THE PLANTER AND CAPITALIST. 



By T. H. Hilken. 



(From the Chamber of Commerce Jour- 

 nal : Official Organ of the London Cham- 

 ber o/ Commerce Incorporated, 

 Vol. XXXI., No. 214, February, 1912.) 

 Opinions are divided as to the respec- 

 tive merits of the Lowlands and High- 

 lands of British East Africa, as many 

 points have to be taken into consider- 

 ation ; but as there is no dispute as to 

 the many profitable opportunities for 

 the settler and capitalist in both direc- 

 tions it may be well, in the first instance, 

 to look at the possibilities of the coast- 

 belt before dealing with the upcountry 

 position. Tropical conditions prevail 

 within the limits of the coast-belt, and 

 the periodical trade winds, regular rain- 

 fall, and fertile soils are factors of the 

 greatest importance to the planters 

 and others interested in their operations. 



The climate for the most part is not 

 inferior to that of Ceylon, and, pro- 

 vided ordinary precautions are taken, 

 the Anglo-Indian or other experienced 

 planters, need have no fear as to his 

 ability to direct native labour in the 

 Lowlands all the year round without 

 injury to health. There is some malaria 

 on the coast-belt,certain districts having 

 an indifferent reputation owing doubt- 

 less to their low-lying and swampy le^el, 

 but, on the whole malaria is claiming 



fewer cases, and this declining tendency 

 will doubtless continue as the country 

 falls more completely under European 

 control and influence. 



The rainfall varies considerably along 

 the coastal plains, but it is generally 

 sufficient for all the tropical produce 

 under cultivation. The soil also varies 

 considerably, ranging from a thin cover- 

 ing on coral rag to the rich red earth, 

 black loam, and sandy covered clays on 

 which cultivation was undertaken on 

 an enormous scale when the Arab and 

 Portuguese planters had the call of an 

 almost unlimited supply of slave labour. 



There is a considerable variety also in 

 the crops cultivated by the present 

 occupants of the coast lands i.e., the 

 natives, the Indians and Goanese, and 

 some few white men. The native gener- 

 ally is content with a little shamba 

 round his hut where he raises some 

 maize, millet and other cereals, with 

 occasionally a few bananas, papaya, 

 and coconut-palms. The Indians gener- 

 ally favour coconut groves, and have 

 extensive holdings down the coast. 

 There is also some rubber cultivation 

 under white supervision, and in certain 

 directions the Ceara trees are doing re- 

 markably well. But wellnigh every des- 

 cription of tropical produce can be 

 raised in the coast-belt, and cotton is 

 doing well (under irrigation). Sisal and 

 other fibres are successfully produced, 

 together with rice, sugar, groundnuts, 

 beans, maize, millet, sesame and many 

 other valuable crops. In all about 

 1,500,000 acres may be taken as a safe 

 estimate of the coast lands area that 

 is suitable for coconuts, rubber, hemp, 

 etc. 



Rubber, 



Rubber calls for a fairly large capital 

 outlay, and the planter must wait four 

 years for any considerable return. Suit- 

 able land is not leadily procurable under 

 lease from the Government, a9 title diffi- 

 culties are holding up considerable areas 

 and these are not likely to be cleared 

 away for some time. Plantation areas 

 are obtainable, however, from present 

 holders at a reasonable price, but expe rt 



