May I, 1894.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
747 
simaim, osseavn, aweet potatoes, millet and maize are 
grown, and cattle, sheep, and goats, are kept. All 
Europe\n oereils and fraits would probably thrive. 
The country is divided into elans, each under a 
chief ; of these the KiUngu ate unfriendly both to 
Earopoana and to their neiihboura, the others are 
keen traders, alive to the benefits of I3urop3an inter- 
oourae. 
The Wakamba are a negroid people nkin in race 
to their northern neighbours in Kikuyu, and, like 
them, speakiaif a Bantu dialect. They are a quiet 
industrious folk, well fitted to be workmen and 
porterp for oaravrins, aud in appearance are medium 
sized and muscular, with filed teeth, wearing no clothes 
Lut decorating their persons with brass wire and 
beads. The country is thickly populated, and the 
people live in beehive huts surrounded by thorn 
fence", and grouped in secluled clusters among the 
shambas or cultivated fields which oover the hillsides. 
The government iii in the bands of the Wazee 
or elders, who are at the bead of each group of 
huts, and certain of these Wazee are head men of 
larger districtB. One of the privileges of old age 
with men is a perfect right to be continually drunk. 
Nearly all the men and many of the old women 
are inveterate snuff-takers, tobacco being largely 
grown here for the purpose of making snuff, as is 
sugar cane for the purpose of making pombe, an 
intoxicating drink. 
The Masai, who inhabit the plains lying south and 
west of TTkambani, are in the habit of raiding 
that country during the dry season, causing the 
Wakambi to retaliate by raids into Masailand. 
We would draw particular attention to the faot of 
a flourishing Sootoh Mission being established at 
Kiburzi, in the centre of Dikumbulia, 3,000 feet 
above sea-level. We do not learn much of this 
Mission station save that the natives here are 
friendly, the stream of water beautifully clear, 
sport plentiful in giraffe zibra and hartbeest. 
Nothing is said of the missionaries establishing 
gardens or plantations of coffee after the fashion 
of their brethren of the Blantyre Mission ; but 
apart from the probability of such being the case, 
Kiburzi 2i degrees from the equator, 3,000 feet 
above sea-level, if the soil is at all good, ought 
to b3 a paradise for coffee gardens. We read of 
the road for 12 miles on each side of Kiburzi 
(which will be 180 miles from the Coast by rail- 
way) being alternately through open country and 
dense forest or jungle and then of fields of Indian 
corn which must mean rich soil as also the heavy 
timber trees. 
THE GLASGOW ESTATES CO., LTD. 
An extraordinary general meeting of the share- 
holders of this Company has been called for 
Wednesday, April 25, for the purpose of considering, 
aad if thought fit, of passing, the following special 
resolution, namely: — "That the capital of the 
Glasgow E^itate Company^ Iiimited, be increased 
from R200,000 to R325,000 by the creation of 250 
new shares of R500 each." The object of the 
proposed inoraaee is, we understand, to enable the 
Company to acquire Nithsdale estate, Agrapatana, 
adjoining Glasgow estate and consisting of 242 
acres, of which 209 are in tea. 
QUALITY ra QUANTITY. 
With reference to our frequent remarks regard- 
ing the necessity of making high-class teas, 
we read in the report of the Bisnanth Company 
that the manager has been ordered on no ac- 
count 10 eaorifice quality for (juantity. As these 
gardens torn out early 1,000,000 lb. annually, 
it is evident that large oonoeros recognise that 
the output of inferior teas must be restricted,-^ 
GRANT OF LAND FOR COFFEE 
CULTIVATION. 
The Government have sanctioned the- grant of 
certain land in the Chamrajnagar Taluk, Mysore 
District, to Mr. R. H. Morris, for coffee cultivation, 
subject to certain conditions regarding the removal 
of the timber trees standing on the l&ni— South 
oj India Observer. 
♦ ■ 
FUEL FORSIEOCCOS. 
Coniidering the difficulty experienced in many of 
oarhilitea gardens in procuring fuel for tea-drying, 
we put it to the community, especially in plscis 
where coal is not available, (unless at almost prohibi- 
tive prices) whether it would not be advisable to 
institute systematic explorations to ascertain the 
amount of peat and suitable turf proourable from the 
ravines and gullies of the mountains where these are 
mostly to be found. We believe the only place 
where peat is made uae of by Europeans is Ootica- 
mund, but in certain parts of North C»ch»r, Sylhet 
and the Southern side of the Awarn V»lley, the 
structure of the country indicates the probability of 
these deposits being likely to be found. There are 
several places in Jaintia (in the plains) betwesn the 
Harri and the Loobah where lignite crops out, where 
a find may reasonably be looked for, and thouj^h 
beyond the western stream there is an alteration m 
the geological contour, the ravines are well worth 
examining.— /wdiaw Planters^ Gazette. 
TOBACCO CULTIVATION. 
Though the showers of rain we had some lime 
ago was not favourable for thg growa up plunts yet 
on the whole the crop, this year, is a good one. 
Tbe e^ltivitors are buaily engaged in cutting and 
curing tobacco plant'. The attracting of Jaffna 
merchants and traders and the liigh prices they 
offered for Trincomslee tobacco has given an 
inducement for an extensive cultivation of tobacoo. 
At Nelaveli, in Kadduknlampattu Crown lands were 
purchased and turned into tobacco gardens. Some 
of the money-lenders here lay oct their capital on 
tobacco cultivation finding that it pays better than 
other investments. — Trinoomalee Cor. 
CEYLON'S KOYAL BOTANIC GARDENS. 
There are no Botanic Gardens all the world 
over better known than the Peradeniya Gardens ; 
and Dr. Trimen's Annual Report inyariably contains 
something or other of interest to (hose who know 
little of either botany or Oeylon. His remarks on 
tbe subject of cattle trespass will appeal to almost 
every sojourner in the East who tabes any delight 
in horticulture or any form of cultivation. He 
writes that it is tbe immemorial custom of the 
country (he might have aaid of the East,) for every 
one to possess himself of a few miserable half wild 
and useless bullocks, regardless of whether or not 
he be able to afford to keep them. It he cannot 
do so he turns them out on the road or elsewhere 
and trusts to their picking up a living for them- 
selves, which is probably at his neighbour s 
expense. These active little creatures wander 
widely and cannot easily be caught j they do 
damage not only in what they eat, but by break- 
ing down and trampling. ' I have fought agaioat 
this nuisance for years, but without much effect, 
as the existing laws and public opinion appear to 
be against any really efficacious measures. I am 
advised that I mast fenoo the grounds, but I 
find that in this oommanity no ordinary live 
fence is any protC(^tion ; anything that is uot 
actually imiienetrable is useless ; as an iniicatioo 
of private property it poisesaea no force ar eig- 
Difioaage." Sow very eimilar is Dr> lamaa^ 
