126 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. — Aug., 1922. 



if paddocking is adopted ; the want of capital required to erect the 

 necessary jackal proof and other fencing, and to provide water for the 

 paddocks ; the presence of roads — many of them unnecessary — which 

 make the lay-out of a suitable scheme of paddocking- extremely diffi- 

 cult, or indeed impossible; and custom and the lack of a full realiza- 

 tion, on the one hand, of the evil results of the veld deterioration and 

 soil erosion caused by present methods and, on the other, of the advan- 

 tages of the new system. 



In order to rectify the present position, many have advocated 

 direct legislation, stringently administered. The Commission, states 

 that first and foremost the State is bound to take action in connection 

 with soil erosion which, if persisted in, will lead to national suicide. 

 But the individual also, who has brought the damage, has bis 

 responsibilities, and without his co-operation the damage cannot te 

 repaired, for prevention and sustained vigilance are essential, and r.o 

 State organization can ever supply the minute watchfulness needed. 

 Therefore the Commission does not consider the time ripe for direct 

 legislation ; education of public opinion is first required, and there- 

 after direct legislation if necessary. To awaken the community to it.» 

 danger sustained propaganda is necessary, particularly that class of 

 instruction natural to the sheep and wool experts of the Department 

 of Agriculture, while instruction on soil conservation should occupy a 

 place in the curriculum of every educational institution in the 

 country. 



The Commission finds: — 



1. The retention of the old wasteful and destructive metliod of 

 kraaling and herding small stock is due to several reasons, the chief 

 of which is the presence of the jackal. 



2. Other reasons are scarcity of water, want of capital, and the 

 presence of roads. 



3. Lack of fvill realization of the advantages and disadvantages 

 of the two methods of small stock farming also plays an important 

 part. 



4. Educative work is now highly necessary to induce the indi- 

 vidual to do his share. 



5. The State has grave responsibilities in preventing the waste of 

 natural resources; but direct legislation cannot now be recommended. 



Indigency Arising out of Drought Losses. 



Among the duties of the Commission was that of inquiring into 

 the methods by which indigency arising among the farming com- 

 munity in consequence of drought losses could best be dealt with. 

 The increasing number of indigents drifting to the cities, the Commis- 

 sion finds, is the final picture of a sequence of misfortunes, nor is it 

 due to economic reasons only, but is brought about by such causes as 

 unfit parents, inbreeding, underfeeding, disease, and climatic condi- 

 tions. Among other reasons for the failure of farn.ers to retain 

 possession of their land are (a) droughts, hailstorms, and excessive 

 frosts; (b) jackals; (c) stock and plant diseases, and insect pests work- 

 ing separately or in conjunction with droughts; (d) cataclysms, such 

 as war, etc. ; (e) too minute sub-division of farms; (/) inflated prices of 



