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Clay can be excavated, moulded and burned without any expensive or elaborate machinery and for centuries clay roofing tiles have been used. There are two qualities of tile: Hand made tiles are moulded from a sandy clay which is pressed into shape by hand pressure so that even if some form of screw press is used the clay will not be heavily compacted. During burning the tiles shrink and there are quite noticeable variations which give a tiled roof attractive appearance. The tiles vary in colour from light brick red to almost black and many of the more expensive tiles are sand faced produce the rough texture which is popular.     Handmade tiles fairly readily absorb water and should not be laid at a pitch of less than 45°to horizontal. If laid at a less pitch these tiles may become saturated in winter and frost will then cause them to disintegrate.      Machine pressed tiles are made from selected pure clays which are thoroughly ground to a fine condition....

 Natural soils are influenced by rainfall and temperature,heavy rain causes the soil to become leached. High temperatures increase the rate of decomposition of organic matter in the soil, thereby lowering its humus content. Thus, climatic conditions tend to produce poor soils in the tropics and rich soils in the temperate regions. Besides climate and vegetation, the parent rock material also contributes to the quality of the soil. For example volcanic rocks tend to produce fertile soils.    Laterite, a red soil which is a product of leaching, is commonly found in the tropics. It is composed mainly of iron and aluminium compounds,and poor in humus and essential plant nutrients, such as phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. The black and brown soil of the temperate grasslands are the world's richest soils, with a high mineral and humus content. The light coloured desert soils tend to be very rich in minerals but have a low humus content.    Mainly the soils ar...

   In rural areas, animals are slaughtered on a slaughter slab. In an urban area, this is carried out in a slaughter house. An abattoir, that are found only in most developed countries, is a modern slaughter house with equipment for the proper, hygienic and humane slaughtering of animals. Public health inspectors have to be present before the slaughtering of animals to examine them. The inspectors have to certify by observation that the animals are free from diseases like anthrax, rinderpest, foot and mouth disease. Very young animals and diseased animals cannot be killed for meat production. The inspector then ensure that the healthy animals are slaughtered in humane manner. The inspector will carry out a postmortem examination on the slaughtered animal to ensure that it is free from the following diseases and parasites. Mostly pigs and cattle suffer from more diseases than goats and sheep.     Public health inspectors send samples of vegetables, fruits, co...

We live in a very big country, Nigeria. Our country occupies a large land space and there are millions of people in it. The people have different views, beliefs and ways of life. As a result, their religious beliefs are also different. Some people in the country believe in one God, his son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost,these people are called the Christians. They read the Holy Bible and worship God in the church.     Some other people believe in one God called Allah, and in His prophet called Mohammed. They read the Holy Quran and worship Allah in the mosque. They are called Muslims.      There is yet a third group in the country. Members of this group believe in gods and goddesses and in an Almighty God. They believe in the African traditional religion. Since all of us in the three groups have to live together in the same country, we should not condemn the religion of other people, rather we should respect each other's religious beliefs. There are ma...

  We can measure the growth of an organism by measuring its mass, length, height, width and area or volume. Over a period of time, sometimes it's possible to measure just one of an organism such as, the leaf of a plant, but this part must grow in proportion to the complete organism. In the case of seedlings, the number of leaves may be used as a growth indicator. Each of these growth indicators is known as a parameter of growth.    The pattern of growth of an organism would vary with the growth parameter that is used. In growth studies, the parameter used would depend on the type of organism. For example, we can measure the height of maize plant to estimate it's growth, but we cannot use the same parameter to assess the growth of a mouse. The ease of measuring a growth parameter will also determine its usage. Thus, area and volume measurements give an accurate picture of growth but are often difficult to measure and so are rarely used.      Mass and len...

Pesticides include herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. They are used especially in a monoculture to control agricultural pests. Most pesticides kill the harmful organisms, as well as, the harmless and beneficial ones. Insecticides kill pollinating agents like bees and butterflies along with pests like leafhoppers, stem borers and yam beetles. In addition, animals like toads and birds that used to feed on the killed organisms find that their food source is gone and move to other areas, thus affecting the ecosystems. These are the immediate results of spraying pesticides.     When crops are sprayed with pesticides, some fall on the crops and some fall on the ground. When such crops are eaten, the pesticides tend to accumulate in the body of the consumers. Over a period of time, the pesticides accumulate in their bodies, building up to toxic levels and causing them harm. The pesticides that fall on the ground get into the ground water and eventually reach surrounding wate...

(i) Shifting Cultivation: This is a traditional form of agriculture which is practised in the tropics and subtopics by societies which do not have permanent homes, but moves from one place to another. (ii) Land rotation: This is a modified form of shifting cultivation. A farmer clears an area of bush, cultivates the land until its fertility decreases, allows it to lie fallow to regain its fertility and then returns to cultivate it again.     Like shifting cultivation, land rotation is an uneconomical and wasteful farming practice. It cannot provide for the needs of a rapidly growing human population. Often, the land is not left to lie fallow long enough to allow it to regain its fertility before it is cultivated again. This eventually damages the soil and converts the land into into a barren desert. This form of farming is a major factor in the destruction of tropical forests. (iii) Pastoral Farming: This is a traditional type of farming. Certain tribes keep only gra...