^l8 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



scribe to the common practice in South Africa of crossing (plaiting) 

 three breeds. He recommends the use of first-cross bulls from Euro- 

 pean bulls, of which the Sussex give the best results, and Afrikander 

 cows, on the ground that more bulls can be put into service and 

 can be kept under wider natural conditions than the pure-bred 

 sires. The object of crossing is to improve the beef type, speed of 

 maturity and other desirable characters by grading up the Afri- 

 kander. For this purpose Schutte advocates extensive supplemen- 

 tary feeding. In order to bring the improved type into harmony 

 with the environment, it is important to recognize, however, 

 'that the South African environment has already developed the 

 type of cattle most suited to it, and that it remains for a co-ordi- 

 nated system of stratification to be developed, using the principles 

 which Dr. Schutte has so ably explained' (Darling 1936). This 

 aspect of the ecology of South African cattle farming has been well 

 emphasized by A. M. Bosman (1932). The authorities mentioned 

 here in general agree that the Afrikander has many qualities 

 superior to those of other native breeds in South Africa, but this 

 conclusion is not universally accepted, and some experts regard 

 other native races as being still more valuable for certain purposes. 

 The opinion is often expressed, moreover, that if more than 50 

 per cent of European blood is introduced into native stock in the 

 Union and the Protectorates, retrogression instead of progress will 

 result when these cattle are bred under natural conditions, on 

 account of their inability to adapt themselves to difficult environ- 

 mental conditions. 



In Southern Rhodesia also it is widely held that the best type of 

 beast is the grade animal. The three races of native cattle there 

 are the Angoni, which is active, small, with a slight hump, the 

 Mashuma with a straight back, and a huge humped type of Zebu. 

 Each of these is regularly crossed with imported bulls, particularly 

 Herefords and Aberdeen Angus; Devons and Shorthorns are also 

 used for the purpose. The second cross, giving beasts with three- 

 quarters of the beef strain and one-quarter native, is claimed to be 

 the finest ranch animal, being almost indistinguishable from the 

 pure-bred, but retaining the native capacity to thrive on natural 

 grazing and to resist diseases. The seven-eighths pure-bred also 

 does well, but beyond that, further grading is considered to be 



