394 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



it bears witness to the inventive ability of natives under the pressure 

 of environment. The Ukara example is not entirely unique, and as 

 knowledge of native agriculture improves, no doubt many similar 

 examples will come to light. Mrs. Gore Brown, for instance, found 

 on Chilubi Island in Lake Bangweulu a very long cycle of crop 

 rotation which also appears to be an adaptation to abnormal con- 

 ditions of close settlement, and the system of settled agriculture 

 near Kano in Northern Nigeria provides another example. 



CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES AND AGRICULTURAL POLICY 



An agency which offers great possibilities for the improvement 

 of native agriculture is the co-operative society. This provides a 

 medium of education which can be applied as soon as there are 

 a few educated Africans with organizing capacity scattered 

 amongst the population. Such societies have been instituted 

 under guidance from agricultural departments in a number of 

 British territories, and have assisted especially in the grading and 

 marketing of produce, transport, and pooling of food resources. 

 In the future, no doubt, other aspects of agriculture, such as 

 selection and distribution of seed and the breeding of stock, may 

 also be undertaken on a co-operative basis, but it is perhaps 

 premature to apply such ideas until more is known of the scientific 

 principles to be adopted, and until the breeding of stock or selec- 

 tion of seed suitable to particular areas can be reduced to a 

 definite code of rules. Then is the time to broadcast the know- 

 ledge gained and to extend the use of the best kinds through a 

 co-operative system. 



Mr. G. F. Strickland, after wide experience of the co-operative 

 movement in India, has been forward in advocating its application 

 to African peasantry. Quoting from him [The Times, 14th August 



1934)* 

 'Go-operative societies, for breeding of stock or selection of seed, 



for marketing of crops and the provision of water, will help the 



African towards improvement more than an infinity of argument 



with unorganized individuals, and it is fortunate that the African 



governments are turning towards co-operative methods.' 



Other authorities hold, however, that the co-operative society 



