Proceedings of the South & East African combined agricultural, cotton, entomological and mycological conference held at Nairobi, August, 1926

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 1738588467

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-115043

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Proceedings of the South & East African combined agricultural, cotton, entomological and mycological conference held at Nairobi, August, 1926

Place of publication:: Nairobi

Publisher:: East African Standard

Year of publication:: 1926

Scope:: VI, 337 Seiten; Ill.

Digitisation:: 2020

Collection:: Economics Books

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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Part II. Agriculture

Collection:: Economics Books

PART 11 In view of the fact that Grevillea robusta has not the. characteristics of a shade tree with spreading branches, one can realise why this tree has not been successful in areas where a spreading tree would be desirable, and where a small number of shade trees to the acre would be an advantage, owing to lack of rainfall. On the other hand, it will be understood why this tree has given better results at the higher altitudes; in the first place, the rainfall is greater, and in the second place, a much lighter shade is required, not so much as to make a shade in the true sense of the word, as to act as an equalizer in extreme temperatures. In the Kericho District, where the rainfall is very great and strong winds are prevalent, Grevillea robusta was found very brittle and therefore unsatisfactory. Black wood Acacia melanoxylon was substituted and found satisfactory. It is considered, however, that this tree would be detrimental to the growth of coffee in a district where the rainfall is not as heavy as in Kericho, namely 70 inches. It has always been recommended that a mixed shade programme should be adopted, owing to the embryonic conditions of the coffee industry in the Colony. This has not been generally carried out, with the result that the subject of shade is still tentative. A number of trees are being tried, but it would be premature to give a definite decision as to which might be regarded as the most suitable, as a tree which may be found suitable in one district may prove unsuitable in another. At altitudes of 5,500 feet and under ** Mukuyu ’ Ficus Mallatocarpa is promising good results; as also has another tree, not yet identified. Albizzia moluccana would have been suitable had it not been found susceptible to attacks of root disease, and it has a further drawback of being brittle. In certain districts, where it has made extremely good growth, it has died out at from five to six years old, but this cause has not yet been ascertained. With regard to temporary shade, a certain measure of success has been achieved in the use of fast growing trees, yet on the other hand, there are a number of cases where its use has been detrimental to the growth of coffee. In the first place, temporary shade is only advocated under certain conditions, i.e., where hail is prevalent and where the growth of coffee is affected by cold. Secondly, when used, it is essential that permanent shade trees should be planted to take the place of the temporary shade, which should be thinned out from time to time, and after about three years it should have served its purpose. When it has been detrimental to coffee, the trees have been planted too closely and not thinned regularly, and no permanent trees have been established. Trees which are usually selected for temporary shade are very fast growing and are therefore in their nature, surface feeders. Care, however, should be taken to select such as are not too: voracious. A most successful and interesting experiment was carried out by Mr. S. O. Hemsted of the Trans-Nzoia with *“ artificial ’’ shade, by erecting posts and strands of plain wire over about 50 acres of coffee. The canopy was formed of maize stalks, grass, branches of macracarpa, etc. Ordinarily, the effect of shade diminishes the yield, but in this case, 1t increased the yield from a few cwts. per acre to about three- quarters of a ton per acre. The conditions under which this coffee was grown were not ideally suitable; the growth was affected by cold and clustered very badly. The effect of the ‘* artificial ’ shade was to. ~4

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