3t)2 JOUENAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



as vegetables, tobacco, dates, etc., might uot also very profitably 

 be grown. It is pathetic to learn that on an irrigation settlement, 

 such as the one under consideration. Upington is supplied with 

 vegetables from De Aar. With "Wiudhuk on the one side and the 

 big towns of the Union on the other, fortunes could be made with 

 vegetables. How well they grow can be realized by considering that 

 it takes 96 onions only to fill a muid sack. 



In my addresses I demonstrated the prevailing practice of grow- 

 ing wheat. I let the audience give their own prices and figures, 

 and wrote them down on the blackboard, and it was agreed that the 

 following yields and prices were fair and average for normal times : — 



Wheat, 1 morgen, 20 bags at 30s. per bag £30 



Lucerne, 1 morgen, 15 tons for 6 cuts, at £4 per ton ... £00 

 Grapes, 1 morgen, 15 tons = 3 tons raisins at 3d. per lb.. 



at £25 per ton £75 



Tlie price for wheat was considered somewhat high and that of 

 lucerne and grapes under the average. I pointed out that for every 

 1000 morgen under wheat instead of luc6rne, they lose £30,000 per 

 annum, and that for every 1000 morgen under wheat instead of vines 

 for raisin making, they lose £-15,000 per annum. In growing wheat 

 instead of citrus they lose even more, but as they have had such a 

 knock over the citrus business I could not think of recommending 

 them to go on except very slowly. A few years ago they planted 

 from 20,000 to 30,000 orange, trees, and of these there are not 20 

 alive to-day. They covered them from the frost for the first three 

 years, and this year took the covers off at about the usual time, but 

 three frosts in succession cut them to the ground and destroyed most 

 of the crop on the old trees. It is too risky in the river bed. I should 

 say that 



Date Palms 



could most successfuUj' be grown throughout this area, and there is 

 no question as to their bearing, as the specimens I saw give prolific 

 crops of verj' fine fruit. They might be grown on the banks of the 

 channels and on the margins of the irrigated areas without breaking 

 into the lucerne, vine, or other cultures. Thej^ are easy to grow and 

 start bearing at anything from 3 to 5 years after planting the off- 

 shoots, and Popenhoe considers that at a low yield and a low price 

 50 trees should give a gross return of about £200. The groves are 

 planted at about 50 trees to the acre ; the gross return would thus be 

 about £200 per acre. Upkeep in the way of cultivation, etc.. is very 

 light, cost of water being the heaviest item. The palms are very 

 deep-rooting', the roots being found at depths of over 20 feet; they 

 also develop systems of lateral roots, which extend in masses around 

 the stem, running out for over 20 feet. The trees are dioecious, that 

 is, having the male and the female flowers on separate trees. Artificial 

 fertilization is necessary" to obtain good results. One good male tree 

 will produce siifKcient pollen to fertilize a hundred female trees, but 

 to be safe the proportion is usiuilly put at three to four. 



The settlers generally along the river are very ignorant of horti- 

 cultural matters, and visits should be made now and again by officers 

 of the Department to put them riglit at any rate on general \-itnl 

 questions. 



