412 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



of the pasture that springs up after rains, but during the long dry 

 seasons men and stock collect near permanent water and thereby 

 cause overgrazing, laying the soil bare to be washed away during 

 the subsequent rains. Therefore, to counteract the ravages of 

 overgrazing as well as to increase the carrying capacity of the 

 land, the provision of additional wells and bore-holes and hydro- 

 logical surveys is of great importance [see Chapter II). 



, STOCK SURVEYS 



Improvement of stock either by breeding or improved feeding 

 cannot be undertaken on true scientific principles without know- 

 ledge of the existing breeds, so theoretically the first step should 

 be to make a survey of the native stock throughout the continent 

 to ascertain the distribution of each breed, the nutritional require- 

 ments at different seasons, the rate of growth, the speed of attain- 

 ing maturity, the breeding frequency, the milking capacity and 

 quality on diflferent diets, and above all, the resistance to disease. 

 Though it is not possible in practice to await the full results of 

 such studies, Sir Arnold Theiler, shortly before his death, empha- 

 sized the importance of surveying the characters of native stock 

 before they become further modified under the influence of 

 changed systems of husbandry or the introduction of breeds from 

 other parts of the world. While much local knowledge has been 

 gained by agricultural or veterinary officers little published 

 material is yet available. Members of the Veterinary Division of 

 the Union, especially Dr. H. H. Curson and Mr. J. H. R. Bisschop, 

 have begun a thorough scientific study, and Dr. H. Epstein of 

 Welverdiend, who is supported by the division and by the Re- 

 search Grant Board of the Union, has extended his researches in 

 native stock to the whole of Africa, and has in preparation a book 

 on the origin of Africa's indigenous domestic animals. This v/ill 

 be of value to all those concerned with stock in the continent. 



It appears that three foundation types of African cattle, the 

 Hamitic Longhorn, the oldest African bovine, the Brachyceros 

 or dwarf shorthorn type imported from Asia many years ago, 

 and the Zebu or humped cattle, imported more recently from 

 Asia, have given rise to the very numerous races which exist 



