PART V. i This review, lengthy as it may be, does no more than pte to indicate broadly what is the agricultural position In this I wi Let me conclude by saying that it 1s hoped that you will find interes in Kenya's progress and problems. It is believed that your ne here and the experience you bring to this, the first Agricultura Con‘erence held in East Africa, will assist the country generally in promoting its agricultural industry, and speaking for the staff of the Agricultural Department, we extend to you a cordial welcome. HIS EXCELLENCY said that he took a. daily interest in agricultural subjects and was glad to hear Mr. Holm’s clear review of agriculture in Kenya. Directors of Agriculture constantly required more funds for their department and it was not often possible to satisfy all their needs. A large proportion of the available funds had been set aside in Kenya for research and experimental work and he was hoping to see Kabete opened shortly as a centre of veterinary research for Fast Africa. Any suggestions which the Conference could make to assist experimental and research work would be gladly welcomed. CHAPTER IIL ECONOMIC PROGRESS OF THE TANGANYIKA TERRITORY. Mr. KIRBY made the following statement: — As the paper* on this subject that has been put before you during the Conference is rather statistical than attractive I propose with the permission of the Chairman to deal with the subject in a more congenial manner. The idea in writing the paper was, to begin with, to give members of the Conference some notion of what Tanganyika produces, and how she has grown in economic importance since the occupation by the Germans. Our first most important agricultural activity is the entirely non- native production of sisal, in regard to which our aim is first to equal the German production. As you see from the table accompanying the paper our present production of sisal is three and a half thousand hundredweight, as against the German production of four thousand hundredweight; but it will be found that, owing to the increases in prices since the war, our value is greater than that of the Germans; our production ,as you are no doubt aware, has been kept back by the war conditions during the time of which the sisal estates were largely allowed to lapse into ruinate condition. After that time, estates fell into the hands of the earlier lessees who took all they could out of them, putting nothing back. Our greatest difficulty about sisal expansion in Tanganyika is the water problem. There are very large areas where it is possible to grow the crop with the greatest success— they are most suitable areas; but as many of us know, for modern methods of decortication, we require more than a moderate supply of water; and it is that which is the difficulty. Some of us have heard recently of a peripatetic decorticator that saunters through the plantation, carrying the leaves with it and tearing the fibre out of them as it goes: but it does not seem as vet to be a practical possibility. * T.C.(C)Ag.10. For text of paper see Appendix. 250