263. A very wide range of scientific, educational and other activities, is undertaken by the Scientific Department. Its main and constant purpose is the collection and study of data aimed at the development on scientific lines of an economically sound system of mechanised agriculture suited to the varying conditions of those areas of East Africa in which the Corporation operates. The burden of the work is concerned with crop production, but as the inclusion of animal husbandry in the agricultural system becomes physically possible it will be necessary to include studies of mixed agriculture in the Department's programmes. At present, all matters involving animal husbandry are specifically excluded.
264. Up to the present, studies of individual crops, with the object of determining the most economic and cultural methods for their production have taken precedence. It is felt that the scientific study of rotations, which is in any case a long-term project, must await accurate knowledge of the production of the individual crops which may enter the rotations in the various areas.
265. The present organisation of the Department is being decentralised to a high degree of regional autonomy in the execution of the annual pro- gramme, but not in its formation which remains centrally directed. It is the intention to maintain at the headquarters of the Department a team of well qualified specialists, a statistical section, a central library, a central adminis- trative organisation, and central laboratories for all special investigations. The execution of field programmes will be carried out by regional staffs, based. on regional experiment farms with full mechanical equipment, but operating in the production fields as well by arrangement with the agricultural staff. It is intended to provide each regional staff with a field biological and chemical laboratory, mainly for routine operations, but obviously these laboratories may have to be expanded in certain respects to deal with specific local prob- lems which cannot be attacked centrally. Only time will show the extent to which the centralisation of major laboratory facilities is economic, but it is worth pointing out that the permanent central laboratory will ultimately be established somewhere in the heart of the development area in the Southern Province, so that it will work in conditions essentially typical of those of the greater part of the Scheme, and will be adjacent to the great production areas to be developed there.
266. A Scientific Committee was appointed to advise the Chief Scientific Officer on his programme of work. Its Chairman is the General Manager (Agriculture), and it includes Dr. B. A. Keen, F.R.S., Director, East African Agricultural Research Organisation, Dr. H. H. Storey, F.R.S, and the Director of Agriculture, Tanganyika. The Chief Scientific Officer is also a member of the Committee.
267. A laboratory opened in March, was by the end of 1948 carrying out routine work on soil analysis and oil content determination, as well as indi- vidual chemical determination of a very wide range of types.
268. Meteorological work covered rainfall studies only. In addition to registered gauges at Kongwa, Urambo and Namanga, a grid of gauges was established at two-mile intervals and on the three production units at Kongwa to study spatial distribution of rainfall in the 1948-49 season and to enable Unit managers to be advised of rainfall conditions from day to day. Just under 50 gauges were used for this grid, and the results have been accumulated centrally as well as on the Units.
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