BOTANY 1 73 



In Nigeria work on grasses was not started till 1932, since when 

 data, chiefly on chemical aspects, have been collected and are 

 summarized by Anderson (1933). Work is being done on possible 

 fodder crops to tide over the dry season when cattle grow thin as 

 a result of the reduction in nutritive value of the parched grass- 

 lands. 



In the non-British territories little work has yet started on the 

 subject except in a few areas, chiefly because the problem of over- 

 grazing is not acute. Chevalier (1933-4), however, has published a 

 preliminary study of the grasslands and grasses of the French terri- 

 tories. In French West Africa work on pasture plants is carried on 

 at several stations: at El Oualadji in the Sudan, research is con- 

 cerned with the feeding of sheep, at Soninkoura the Office du Niger 

 studies the pasture plants of the irrigated areas, while at Sotuba 

 the suitability of plants for introduction to the Sudan area has been 

 tried. Interesting results have been obtained with plants intro- 

 duced from South Africa, the Belgian Congo, America, and India. 

 Rogeon (1932) has discussed the forage grasses of the French 

 Sudan with regard to their agricultural possibilities. In Morocco 

 grasses from the southern parts of the continent have been intro- 

 duced with success, particularly Napier, Rhodes, and Kikuyu 

 grasses. 



In the Belgian Congo study of the taxonomy of native grasses is 

 well advanced as a result of the monograph being prepared by 

 Dr. Robyns, which will serve as a foundation for research on 

 pasture improvement in the future. Already erosion from exces- 

 sive grazing has been noticed in Ruanda-Urundi, and the recent 

 introduction of five thousand head of cattle from Ruanda to 

 Katanga will probably necessitate study of the pastures there. In 

 another pubHcation Robyns (1931) has suggested using indigenous 

 grasses for the improvement of pasture-lands, and experiments 

 with this end in view are now being carried out by the veterinary 

 service of the Congo and by the Comite Special du Katanga. The 

 destruction of forest trees in several places in the Congo, as in 

 other parts of the continent, has led to the formation of grassland 

 which is of little value for grazing, consisting in the main of the 

 grasses Cynodon dactylon and Paspaliim dilatum, and frequently over- 

 run with Panicum. Many farmers have introduced Kikuyu grass 



