THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



79 



and calves. The benefits of inoculation, as practised 

 in Holland, were occupying attention ; and some of the 

 Cape farmers, about to visit Europe, intended to visit 

 the Veterinary Colleges in Holland, to observe the 

 mode of operation, and learn its results. One farmer 

 asserted, at the Albany Agricultural Society's meeting, 

 that his mode of treating calves was an effectual pre- 

 ventive; " As soon as a calf died he gave a dose (a 

 quarter of a pint or nearly a pint, accoi'ding to age) of 

 the diseased lung, in a half iluid state (it was no matter 

 if there were bits of diseased lung in it the size of a bee), 

 to the healthy calves. They grew sick, and the hair 

 turned up. Still they i'ed ; and in about eight days 

 they were well." 



The lung. sickness still rages also to the north of the 

 colony, in the Free State and other settlements ; and 

 the Natal papers assert that the destruction of cattle in 

 the Zulu country has been immense, for the natives 

 have no idea of precautionary measures, or mode of 

 arresting the disease. All this was telling upon the 

 colony in the shape of higk prices of meat and high 

 prices of carriage. When we consider the long dis- 

 tance of transport for wool, ivory, and other heavy 

 goods, and of the I'eturn supplies to and from the 

 farms and chief towns and seaports, all by bullock- 

 waggons, the health and increase of cattle is of para- 

 mount importance. Every waggon is drawn by six or 

 seven span of oxen ; and an instance of the great demand 

 for transport is afforded in the fact that at the quarterly 

 " naehtmaal," or religious gathering, of the Dutch at 

 Graham's Town, just held, there were more than 300 

 waggons present, each bringing its freight of seven 

 or eight persons, for the most part from long distances. 



The great mortality which had lately taken place 

 in imported bulls and cows, threatens to check for a 

 time the ^importation itself. The subject is thus re- 

 ferred to by one of the Cape journals : " We believe 

 the greater part of these importations are of the 

 Shorthorued or Durham breed; a breed that owes 

 its existence, in its present form, to the Brothers 

 CoUings, who, by a most patient and persevering and 

 skilful course of breeding for years, succeeded in ob- 

 taining characters of the most valuable description 

 permanently fixed in their flock. Their beasts came to 

 maturity very quickly, while the bony skeleton and 

 offal were reduced to the smallest quantity. But in 

 order to effect this, a certain mode of breeding was at 

 least allowed, that is usually known technically as 

 * breeding in.' The consequence has been, that all 

 these highly-bred animals have a most tender and 

 delicate constitution ; which, together with their small 

 bone and heavy load of fat and flesh, utterly unfits 

 them for travelling, and renders them the least likely 

 of any to support the clianges of food, temperature, and 

 other conditions, treatment included, which transporta- 

 tion to a different climate involves. Hence it is that so 

 much loss and disappointment has befallen most of the 

 importers of large stock into the colony. The treat- 

 ment and feeding on the voyage, in all probability, at 

 first lays the foundation of the disease in the compli- 

 cated digestive organs of the animals; which disease, 

 on arrival here, is further aggravated by a treatment 

 and feeding to which the animals have been altogether 

 unaccustomed. There are other valuable breeds not so 

 delicate however, that would be as valuable, if not 

 more so, than this. There is, for instance, the little 

 Alderney breed, the finest milkers of any, yielding from 

 12 to 18 quarts of milk per diem, that inhabit the 

 warmest counties of England, and came originally from 

 the still warmer Channel Islands. Why not try some 

 of these that we know, from expei'ience, to be not by 

 any means over delicate ? and which, if established 



here, would make South Africa notorious for rich dairy 

 produce." 



Horse-sickness is also giving some trouble to the 

 farmers, which cannot be wondered at, Avhen it is re- 

 membered that upwards of 70,000 horses are reported 

 to have died from the horse-sickness in South Africa 

 four years ago. This, and the demand for India — 

 to which country 5,500 have been sent since the 

 mutiny — is telling upon the numbers in the colony. 

 In 1855 there were only 54,000 horses for hus- 

 bandry, and 85,000 breeding horses, colts, and foals in 

 the colony. The breeders must now put their 

 shoulders to the wheel to increase the supply, and to 

 keep in health those they have left. Horse-sickness 

 can be avoided by erecting proper sheds for the mares 

 and foals, and growing some forage to feed them on 

 during tlie prevalence of the disease. If the farmers 

 do not think their horses worth this little expense and 

 trouble, they deserve to suffer ; and the Australians 

 will deprive them of the Indian market. The only 

 complaint against the Cape horses is their want of 

 size, caused by starving the mares and foals, and 

 taking no care of them. 



Much has been done by the old Dutch inhabitants 

 towards the improvement of wine ; but the quality might 

 be greatly amended, for no country can produce better 

 grapes. For agriculture much has also been done ; 

 but there is still much more to accomplish. The 

 colony is well watered ; and yet nothing, compara- 

 tively speaking, has been done towards husbanding 

 the supplies which fall from the clouds. The colonists 

 have recently suffered heavily from the drought, in 

 sheep losses and in crops ; and this ought to stimulate 

 them to do something in the way of dam-making and 

 tree planting. The formation of the country is favour- 

 able for the former ; and in all countries where an 

 adequate supply of rain falls it will be found that vege- 

 tation and tree planting are primarily attended to. With 

 respect to wines for export, the Cape will have great 

 diflSculty in holding its own in competition in the 

 British market with the nearer produce of the conti- 

 nent; but, doubtless, some other market may be found. 

 The imports already this year of Cape wine are large, 

 and double the quantity which came to hand in the 

 first four months of 1859. In the local agricultural 

 shows we find Cape madeira, sweet and rough pontac, 

 Cape hock, and Cape brandy most favourably spoken of. 



We have touched upon some few of the leading Cape 

 products, and the topics principally occupying public 

 attention in the colony. The capabilities of the Cape 

 are unmistakable ; these only require steady develop- 

 ment and proper vigilance and attention. The value 

 of its exports is already nearly ^2,000,000 per annum, 

 and in a few more years they will certainly be doubled. 



WOOL. — The history of the growth of wool is very curi. 

 ous. Fifty years ago not a pound of fine wool was raised in 

 the United States, in Great Britain, or in any other country 

 except Spain. In the latter country, the flocks were owned 

 entirely by the nobility or by the cro\\Ti. In 1794, a small 

 flock was sent , to the Elector of Saxony as a present from 

 the Kuig of Spain, whence the entire product of Saxony 

 wool, now of such immense value. In 1809, during the 

 invasion of Spain by the French, some of the valuable crown 

 flocks were sold to niise money. The American Consul at 

 Lisbon, Mr. Jarvis, purchased fourteen head, and sent them 

 to America. A portion of the pure unmixed Merino blood 

 of these flocks is to be found in Vermont at tliis time. Such 

 was the origin of the immense flocks of fine-woolled Sheep 

 in the United States. — Cornplanier and Mechanic. 



