CHAPTEK XXII 



EAINFALL AND TEMPEEATUEE 



In a tropical country fertility depends upon rain- 

 fall quite as much as upon actual richness of 

 soil, provided always the soil has depth. Some 

 years ago I sent a sample of soil from a planta- 

 tion in Zanzibar to Dr. Voelker, consulting 

 chemist to the Koyal Agricultural Society of 

 England, for analysis. The report stated that 

 the soil was '' of a miserably poor character," 

 "clearly quite impoverished"; "in all the con- 

 stituents which are needed to make a soil fertile 

 this one is exceptionally deficient." It seemed, 

 indeed, " a question whether such a soil would 

 bear the cost of any large outlay in manuring 

 of an artificial nature." On receiving this report 

 I explained that, generally speaking, the vegeta- 

 tion of the plantation was luxuriant, and that 

 this might be accounted for by the well-balanced 

 supply of sunshine and rain, and that under 

 favourable climatic conditions crop production 



188 



