172 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



more profitable to encourage grass than forest in view of the high 

 transpiration rate of the latter. 



In Kenya a general study of pasture species is in progress. Mr. 

 Edwards, the officer in charge of grassland improvement, has for 

 two years past been stationed at Kabete, at the veterinary research 

 laboratories. He has concentrated on the local indigenous grasses 

 and legumes, and an ecological survey of the main climatic types 

 of grassland is being undertaken as facilities permit. The grass- 

 lands of Kenya (Edwards 1934) fall into three main divisions: 

 (a) areas of high moisture and low temperature, and 6,500 to 

 10,000 feet altitude, (b) intermediate areas, and (c) dry areas. 

 Studies of the first two are in progress at Kabete with extensions 

 in various parts of the colony, and the nutritional research station 

 at Naivasha in the rift valley is a centre for the dry areas. At 

 Kabete are established pasture-plant nurseries, especially for 

 Kikuyu grass, plots for seed production, and other plots for raising 

 mixed pastures, legumes, including Lespedeza from America, and 

 fodder crops, manure trials, etc. Experiments made include palat- 

 ability and grazing trials for each strain raised. At Naivasha 

 drought-resistant species and manures are under trial, and experi- 

 ments are in progress on the renovation of pasture depleted by 

 locusts, drought, and overgrazing. Already this work has yielded 

 information of direct practical application over considerable areas 

 at the higher altitudes, as shown by Edwards (1935); for the inter- 

 mediate areas Rhodes grass has proved suitable for sowing down for 

 pasture and hay, and for the drier areas methods of controlling over- 

 grazing, based on the natural plant succession, have been suggested. 



In Uganda and Nyasaland little pasture work has been started, 

 since the grasslands have not yet been affected by heavy grazing 

 to a serious extent. The increase in stock is threatening, however, 

 to make action necessary. 



In British Somaliland Mr. R. A. Farquharson, agriculturalist and 

 geologist, has devoted considerable sections of his recent reports 

 (not printed) to the reconditioning and improvement of natural 

 pastures. It appears that much of the scant vegetation has been 

 destroyed by overgrazing. Since much of the surface soil contains 

 deposits of brak, the South African salt-bush, a useful grazing 

 shrub, is to be introduced for trial. 



