THE FUTURE OF CAPE COLONY. 431 



planting. Within the last few years, Arbor Day, 

 a celebration borrowed from America, has been 

 observed throughout the land, and now each year on 

 this anniversary, which is observed as a general 

 holiday, thousands of trees are planted by men, 

 women and children. This is a wise and most 

 praiseworthy custom, and succeeding generations of 

 Afrikanders will doubtless bless the forethought of 

 their ancestors. 



Much, however, remains to be done in this way, 

 and long years must elapse before the destruction 

 of two centuries can be repaired and the forests of 

 the Colony regenerated. 



Another rapidly growing system which also 

 promises to work wonders is that of the fencing of 

 sheep and goat runs. In the old days, upon every 

 pastoral farm, the flocks were kraaled at night in 

 inclosures, as a protection against wild beasts, and 

 in the morning led to their pastures in charge of 

 Kaffir or Hottentot herds. The disadvantages of 

 this system are sufficiently obvious. The sheep or 

 goats have insufficient rest, and often improve but 

 little in flesh or wool. The distance to pasture 

 daily increases ; great portions of the veldt are 

 worn and destroyed by the incessant trampling to 

 and fro to kraal ; the kraals themselves become 

 unspeakably filthy from the deposits of years, and 

 harbour and propagate various diseases ; while 

 the manure, instead of being scattered about the 

 veldt, thereby improving the pasturage, is wasted, or 

 only partially utilized as fuel in its sun-dried form. 

 This custom still obtains on very many pastoral 

 farms, especially among the slow-moving Boers, its 

 originators. 



