PART TI. 
which this Agenda, which is before you, was drawn up. It was 
further proposed that the Chairmen of the Sections should make a 
practice of meeting together at the end of each day’s sitting to discuss 
and decide what subjects should be dealt with by each Section at its 
succeeding sitting, also those which should be reserved for the General 
Conference, so that there should be no unnecessary waste of time, and 
so that a programme could be arranged enabling those interested to 
attend discussions. Speaking generally, these were the proposals 
made, and 1 should be glad to know if they are acceptable to you; 
also, if you have any suggestions to offer for the work of the 
Agricultural Section.” 
These general arrangements, as outlined, were agreed to. 
CHAPTER II. . SOIL PROBLEMS. 
SOME SOIL PROBLEMS IN KENYA. 
Mr. BECKLEY read the following paper (referred to in the 
agenda as T.C.(C)Ag.8): — 
Soil investigation in Kenya is a very young branch of scientific 
endeavour, and in this paper only the superficial aspects are considered. 
On the whole the soil problems of the Kenya Highlands are general 
in character but their application to any particular soil is intimately 
connected with the origin of that soil. A very great deal of the part 
of Kenya under European settlement is situated upon rock formations 
associated with the volcanic disturbances that accompanied the 
subsidences which have given rise to the Great Rift Valley. Tt is only 
with soils derived from these formations that it is proposed to deal as 
far as the fragmentary information regarding the geology of the 
Colony allows. 
The Kapitian formation is the first of the lava flows. It forms 
the foundation of the Athi and Kapiti plains, and probably the greater 
part of the Uasin Gishu Plateau. It also appears in the neighbourhood 
of Mount Kenya and at Kisumu. The soil derived from this formation 
is a very dark coloured clay or clay-loam, generally spoken of as 
““ black cotton soil.”” The vegetation carried by this class of soil is 
usually pure grass. 
The Kapitian formation is overlain by the Doinyan basalts. As 
far as it has been possible to ascertain, the soils derived from this 
formation are sandy clays, light grey in colour when dry and black 
when wet. These soils are apparently poorly supplied with plant 
nutrients and are hungry soils. 
The Nyassan formation, a mixture of lake deposits and small lava 
flows, has, so far, only been studied in the Rift Valley. The soils are 
silty in character. Later aeolian deposits have, to a large extent, 
covered the Nyassan soils, greatly modifying their nature. These 
soils, as far as it has been possible to characterise them. carry a mixed 
vegetation of thorn bush and grass. 
The Laikipian lavas, which are the next in age, form the ridged 
lips of the Rift Valley and also occur in the neighbourhood of Mount 
Kenya. As their name infers, they form the Laikipia Plateau. In 
the more settled areas, the soils of the Kikuyu Highlands and those 
along the Mau and Elgeyo Escarpments are derived from this sroup of 
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