243 
to time the surface roots are severed from the stem, pulled out of the 
ground toa distance of Gne or two yards from the parent plant, 
and left projecting. They rapidly develop leaves, and become, in their 
turn, parent trees, and in this way in five or six years a field becomes 
quite densely crow pont 
Sweet Potatoes.—Sweet potatoes are planted and gathered, and a 
crop of maize is raised from the vacant land during the first year. In 
the second year yams are raised, together with a crop of maize at the 
latter end of the year. In the third year corn (maize) and beans, or — 
yams, are grown, after which the land is allowed its usual periol of 
inactivity, a 
Ibadau, is a town of 150,000 inhabitants, while the other, Ikirun, is a 
crowded war camp where food is considered to be scarce and expensire, 
purchasers : 
On first realising these facts it is natural that one should look around 
in search of a sufficient cause for such striking results. It is not so- 
much the fertility of the soil as shown by the abundance of any single 
o 
most interesting chapter on the fertilising effect of the work of termites 
in East Africa, one naturally seeks to explain this difficulty in a similar 
manner, Unfortunately, ant-hills are exceptionally small and widely 
land. ch 
p to recover its fertility in so short a space of time. For mini 
Purposes and the valuable process of bringing the subsoil to the surface, 
they are doubtless of great use, but their slow and fee orts are 
to explain the mystery, while under our feet unnoticed was going om the ooo 
In I» d in the simplest 
the dry season the mys is at once solyed, and in the rs comedit 
di 4 E e whole surface of d 
Among the grass is seen to be covered by serried ranks of "oem 
Worm casis. These worm casts vary in height from a quarter o 
oh a NE ro 
* Not printed. 
