388 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



H. E. Lambert and is described by Howard (1935). The original 

 technique evolved at Indore was simplified for explanation to the 

 illiterate African. The materials were not prepared, but were 

 simply stacked near the pits so that they were ready to hand when 

 manufacture began. By a simple rotational system every operation 

 required was repeated on the same day of the week, and the results 

 were excellent. Campaigns for making village compost now occupy 

 much of the time of all field oflacers. In 1936, in the Central 

 Provinces alone, where cattle for the most part are not kept on 

 the holding, some 100,000 compost pits had been brought into 

 use (Kenya 1936, D.R., Pt. I, p. 88). In Nyasaland also methods 

 of composting, based on the Indore process, have been evolved; 

 the principal object being in this case to provide a method of 

 making soil fertile for finger millet and other crops, as an alterna- 

 tive to the chitemene system. It is claimed that details are now 

 sufficiently worked out for the composting to be introduced in 

 native areas, and through the agency of demonstrators progress 

 has been recorded (Nyasaland 1935, D.R.). 



In the West African colonies various trials have been made with 

 composting, and opinions differ about its efficiency. In Nigeria 

 results attained by the agricultural department have not been 

 encouraging, although experiments so far have been on a compara- 

 tively small scale, mostly at Samaru in the Northern Provinces. It 

 is claimed that there is no proof yet that the compost makes a 

 better fertilizing agent than the same amount of animal manure 

 and ash from the same quantity of plant material when applied 

 directly to the land. On the other hand, an experiment by the 

 research branch of the forestry department has been encouraging: 

 waste material from nursery weedings and grass cleanings was 

 used, with ammonium sulphate and lime as agents to produce the 

 'activator'. Both chemical analysis and nursery tests proved satis- 

 factory (Nigeria, Agric, i935,Z).i?., p.i 14). In the Gold Coast trials 

 by the department of animal health at Pong-Tamale have led to 

 the conclusion that the process is not economic, but the agricul- 

 tural department have a more favourable opinion of its value when 

 modified for local conditions, and have pointed out its advantages 

 to farmers (Gold Coast, Agriculture, 1935, pp. 229-30). It appears 

 however, that none have so far adopted it. 



