26o 
of  lands,  and  short  steep  embankments  may  also  be  protected  with 
this  same  covering.  On  longer  and  steeper  slopes,  however,  this 
method  is  not  so  effective  as  that  of  reforestation. 
In  enumerating  the  effects  to  be  obtained  by  the  growth  of  gras- 
ses and  other  herbaceous  vegetation  on  washing  lands,  or  lands 
liable  to  be  eroded,  it  should  be  stated  that  such  growths  are  cal- 
culated to  break  the  force  of  the  rainfall  and  prevent  its  packing 
the  soil ; to  render  the  ground  more  porous  through  the  root  pene- 
tration into  the  subsoil  ; to  make  the  soil  more  absorbent  and  more 
retentive  of  moisture  through  the  addition  of  liumus  to  the  soil  from 
the  decay  of  the  plants  to  retard  the  rate  with  which  the  surface 
waters  flow  off,  and  lastly,  to  bind  the  particles  of  soil  together, 
which  is  especially  effective  in  the  case  of  light  sandy  lands  and  of 
newly  formed  embankments,  whether  of  sand  or  clay. 
The  turf  which  would  answer  the  present  purposes  should  be 
composed  of  perennial  grasses  of  varieties  which  have  creeping 
rootstocks  and  it  is  frequently  essential  that  they  be  able  to  grow 
upon  an  impoverished  and  often  hard  soil.  To  secure  a strong 
turf  on  lands  of  this  character  it  is  very  important  that  the  soil 
should  be  thoroughly  ploughed  or  loosened,  and  some  variety  of 
field  pea  or  clover  be  seeded  down,  such  as  the  cowpea,  well  adap- 
ted to  this  purpose.  There  crops  may  either  be  cut  off,  leaving  a 
high  stubble  to  be  turned  under,  or  the  whole  may  be  ploughed 
under,  thus  furnishing  a quantity  of  organic  matter  to  the  soil  as  a 
preparation  for  the  grasses  which  are  to  be  seeded. 
With  this  preparation  of  the  soil  Bahama  grass  is  one  of  the  best 
grasses  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  erosion,  or  of  reclaiming 
eroded  land.  This  should  be  planted  by  cutting  up  a turf  rather 
than  by  seeding,  as  the  seeds  do  not  germinate  very  readily,  everi 
where  they  have  been  gathered  in  a mature  condition. 
Where  the  soil  will  support  other  good  turf  grasses  of  higher 
value  for  hay  or  pasturage,  or  where  the  soil  can  be  brought  into  a 
condition  to  support  them,  these  more  valuable  grasses  should  be 
introduced. 
AGRICULTURE  IN  THE  CAMEROONS  AND 
TOGOLAND. 
In  the  Diplomatic  and  Consular  Reports  on  the  German  Colonies 
occur  the  following  : — 
Rubber,  ivory  and  palm  oil  are  the  most  important  arti- 
cles of  native  trade,  though,  in  consequence  of  the  falling- 
off  of  the  supply  of  rubber  and  ivory  in  those  parts  of  the 
country  from  which  they  have  hitherto  been  obtained,  it  is 
only  by  the  opening-up  of  fresh  districts  that  the  trade  can 
be  kept  up  to  its  present  standard. 
The  progress  made  by  the  plantations,  under  European 
management,  is  satisfactory.  Though  the  cultivation  of 
