422 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



(Kenya Commission 1929) and Sir Morris Carter (Kenya 1934). 

 In the initial stages it appears that ill-feehng among the native 

 stock owners is bound to be aroused, but it is held that the alterna- 

 tive of allowing potentially good stock land to change into desert 

 through the ravages of soil erosion must be avoided at all costs. 

 The concession for a meat factory at Athi River on the edge of the 

 Masai Reserve obtained in 1936 by Messrs. Liebig, who are 

 authorized to purchase 30,000 head of cattle per annum from the 

 Masai, is an important step in this direction. 



Many efforts have been made in Kenya by settlers to establish 

 pure-bred herds of British breeds and to grade up native stock. 

 Results have by no means always been a success, but many high- 

 grade herds of dairy cattle are now established in the highlands. 

 At the Government farm station at Naivasha Dr. Anderson is 

 studying the correlation of nutritional conditions and reproduc- 

 tive activity. Attention is being directed on the one hand to a 

 study of the influence of the plane of nutrition and of actual 

 specific deficiencies upon the frequency of oestrum and the per- 

 centage of successful matings; and on the other hand the reproduc- 

 tive peculiarities of the Zebu are being investigated in order to 

 find whether they are genetic characters of the species. Another 

 centre of stock research is Ngong under Mr. J. Anderson, formerly 

 of the Rowett Research Institute staff. A valuable experiment in 

 the improvement of native breeds by selection for milk-producing 

 qualities is in progress. Similar attempts at improvement are 

 being made with herds of cattle of different native breeds at the 

 veterinary training centres at Maseno, Baraton, Sangalo and 

 Mariakani, where results of considerable value have already been 

 obtained. It may be desirable in the near future to concentrate 

 these breeding experiments at one centre, with a view to exercising 

 a closer control of the work. Experiments relating to the improve- 

 ment of native cattle are at present concerned entirely with the 

 production of dairy cattle, but it is hoped to examine the poten- 

 tialities of crossing native stock with a recognized beef-breed, such 

 as the Hereford, Pollen-Angus, or Dexter-Kerry. For this purpose 

 it is believed that the technique of artificial insemination, which 

 has been studied on the Naivasha stock farm, may have important 

 applications. Among the nutritional studies may be mentioned 



