Browsing by Author "Lock, G.W."
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Item The Cultivation of Sisal(1935/1936) Lock, G.W.The sisal plant has considerable in' he rent vigor which makes it adaptable to widely differing conditions of soil and climate. It demands the minimum of at, tention in the field. Consequently, wher, e.ver suitable land is plentiful, the course most commonly followed by planters for increased production is the straight for, ward one of enlarging the area under cultivation. These factors have directed Sisal cultivation along extensive lines. They are also reasons why the question of manuring per se has seemed a remote one, and present knowledge on this sub, ject happens to be rather vague.Item Development of the Mlingano Sisal Experimental Station(1935/1936) Lock, G.W.Although it is only a comparatively short time since the scheme materialized, the establishment of a sisal experimental station in Tanganyika has been contem, plated for some years past. The need for such a station has been long recognized, and it is satisfactory to record that means have now been found for conducting in, vestigational work on sisal. The Depart' ment of Agriculture was enabled, through the aid of the sisal industry represented by the Sisal Cess Board, and the Colonial Development Fund, to secure Mlingano Estate in late 1934, and East African sisal planters will doubtless be interested to know the progress which has been made so far in the development of this property as the future sisal ex, perimental station.Item Notes on the Economic Possibilities of Blue Sisal (Agave amaniensis)(1938) Lock, G.W.; N.D.A., A.I.C.T.A., Tanganyika TerritoryThe production of blue sisal (Agave amaniensis) is still in the experimental stage and has not yet developed into an economic proposition. Since the discovery in 1929 of a few plants growing in a remote corner of the East African Agricultural Research Station at Amani, lack of planting material has prevented the cultivation of blue sisal on any extensive scale. The position is rapidly changing, for bulbils and suckers are now distributed to estates in larger numbers, so that the area under blue sisal is increasing annually. Within the next few years fibre should be forthcoming in exportable quanties.Item Observations on the Spacing of Sisal(1946) Lock, G.W.; Sisal Experimental Station, TanganyikaThe early field trials on the Mlingano Sisal Experimental Station showed that of all the factors affecting sisal yields, spacing, in so far as it determined the density of plants, was by far the most important. As the population of plants per unit area increased so did the total tonnage of fibre obtained during the life cycle. A paucity of plants, such as 1,500-2,000 per hectare, only yielded about five to six tons against 30 tons reaped from 10.000 plants per hectare. Intermediate populations likewise yielded according to plant number. The total fibre yield and the longevity of the sisal were closely and positively correlated with plant density. It is not proposed to deal with the results of spacing trials in this article beyond pointing out the profound influence of plant density upon yield. The optimum density will vary according to climatic and soil conditions and no hard and fast rule can be laid down beyond stating that one aim should be to have as many plants as possible without seriously impairing the development of the sisal. Within reason, the more favourable the growth conditions are, the greater the density may be, and, conversely, the poorer the conditions the lower the plant population. The proper approach to determining any spacing for an estate, or section thereof, is first of all to decide how many plants the land will carry satisfactorily. Having reached this decision the actual espacement to be adopted should then be considered. Frequently these two factors are dealt with in the wrong order. For example, should a density of 5,000 plants per hectare be settled upon, then the question whether the spacing should be 2 x 1 m., 2.50 x. 80 m., 4 x 1 m. x. 80 m., or any other variant giving 5,000 plants, should be answered afterwards.Item A Study of Methods of Cultivating Sisal in Kenya in Comparison with those used in Tanganyika(1937) Lock, G.W.; Sisal Experiment StationThe system of cultivating sisal in Kenya does not correspond exactly with that ordinarily followed in Tanganyika and consequently it may be of interest to compare the respective methods of the two principal sisal producing centres in East Africa. Broadly speaking the distinction arises through climatic differences. induced chiefly by a wide disparity in altitude. Over 80 per cent of Kenya sisal exports originate from the highlands above ).000 feet and it is proposed to describe in most detail sisal growing in those parts.
