Some Notes on Soil Fertility with Particular reference to African Farmers

Abstract

The observations made in this article are almost entirely empirical and should be read as such. They are based on my experience over the last eight years at the Native Agricultural Farm, Bukura, North Kavirondo. It is a medium attitude area (4,900 ft.), having a mean rainfall of 70 inches per annum. In an article I wrote for this Journal (October, 1941) I gave an putline of the main objects of the investigational work here, so there is no need for reiteration. It is enough to say that a stable agricultural system must soon take the place of the indigenous shifting agriculture; for already there is a demand by the African for a much higher standard of living, which is unattainable under existing, primitive methods. Hence these notes, which may help to show up some of the, difficulties and may help to open up new lines of investigation for others to work on. While much has been written about the pasture-arable rotation in a mixed farming system, little has been done towards applying the principle to native farming. It is simple to work out rotations on paper; but consider the obstacles under the headings of the following two main paragraphs:—