992 
pushing forward every day. We also cut it into wagon parts, 
bridge material and furniture; it is the hardest wood I 
have ever known with the exception of the Quebracho that I 
came across in the forests of north Argentine. Another 
olive we have, Olea sp. (native, name m'weri), much lighter 
than the other olive , but very tough. It is as red as rose- 
wood, used for ox yokes and furniture. There is still an- 
other Olea called brown olive, a very handsome wood used 
for hubs, spokes and felloes for completely making jinrick- 
shaws, a form of vehicle much used in Mombasa, Nairobi and 
other towns. 
"For most of the local building Podocarpus graeilior takes 
the place of the pines, etc., of Europe and North America. 
It is a splendid tree with a perfectly straight bole for 
80 or more feet. It Is the principal forest tree at the 
7000 and 8000 feet level. The cedar goes higher; I have 
cut it at 9548 feet. Above that the forests dwindles out 
and it becomes dense bamboo (and buffalo), the latter a 
very nasty customer to meet. The pasture on these hills 
at 9000 and 10000 feet is the finest I have ever seen, not 
even excepting England. Much lower down at from sea level 
to 1000 feet growmangoes and all the tropical trees , palms, 
dracaenas„ etc. 
"Growing on these hills but having no utility purposes 
we have a giant heath which I call Erica gigantea, 25 feet 
high. It usually grows in broken gullys where grass will 
not hold and is favourite 'cover' for lions. Lantana erieoides 
grows on "the outer edge of the forest and the roadsides, 
as also does heliotrope, a giant asparagus (edible), an 
herbaceous Althea or Hibiscus, and many beautiful flowers 
whose names I know not. In my garden I grow oranges, man- 
darins, lemons, limes, loquats, coffee, and tea. Coffee is 
a great industry at the 6000 foot level. In one small dis- 
trict of Kisambu near Nairobi there are 12000 acres planted 
In coffee. I also have strawberries (imported), native 
raspberries, Cape gooseberries, which is not a gooseberry 
at all but an excellent fruit. I will send you some seed 
as it would grow well In all your non-freezing states and 
will even stand a few degrees of frost as I have seen It do 
so at 10000 feet. I have what are called tree tomatoes, the 
bush (perennial) grows 8 feet high with large shiny leaves 
that get smaller as the tree gets older. The fruit looks 
like a large reddish purple plum but has many small seeds 
like the tomato and a very pleasant taste, and Is used for 
pies and puddings. It bears profusely all the year round. 
In the matter of vegetables we grow here everything 
that is found in an English or North American garden only 
they grow 12 months in the year. 
