THE IRRIGATION AGE. 343 



market for his products. But today a towr like Johannesburg, with 

 its 125,000 whites and 250,000 blacks, calls in vain for the products of 

 the soil; and yet the Boer still leaves his acres untilled, and refuses 

 to keep pace with civilization. Situated as the city is in the heart of 

 an admittedly fine agricultural country, the source of its food supply 

 is unique. Flour for particularly the whole population of the Trans- 

 vaal has to be imported, a small quantity from the Orange Free 

 State, the rest from America and Australia. Until the Australian 

 article became known, almost the whole of the butter consumed was 

 tinned Danish, but now, with the exception of a small quantity from 

 Cape Colony, the Australian frozen butter commands the market. 

 Fresh milk in Johannesburg is an expensive luxury, and in most 

 country towns is seldom sold, consequently there are large imports of 

 the condensed article from Switzerland and Denmark. For an article 

 of everyday diet, like eggs, the town derives its main supply from 

 the island of Madeira, a lucrative trade in this being established some 

 few years ago by Russian Jew egg venders. Hams and bacon are all 

 imported. Vegetables, poultry and fruit are also imported in very 

 large quantities from Cape Colony and Xatal. The foregoing is very 

 conclusive proof of the utter failure of the Transvall Boer as a 

 farmer. Generally speaking, he supplies the Johannesburg market 

 with nothing, save store cattle, green fodder and mealies (maize). 

 Even mealies, which is the staple food of the black races, and is also 

 largely used for horse feed, has often to be imported in large quan- 

 tities' from America, although it can be grown in any part of the 

 Transvaal. 



"It may well be asked, then, what are the capabilities of the 

 Transvaal as a pastoral and agricultural country? A sheep country 

 the writer considers it never could be. In the Standerton district, in 

 the southeast, sheep thrive fairly well, but in the greater portion of 

 the high veld, and in almost the whole of the middle veld there are 

 no grasses they will thrive on, and in most parts no shelter, in the 

 shape of trees or shrub, from the sun's rays and the severe tropical 

 thunderstorms. The bush veld, though largely covered with a good 

 sweet grass, is climatically unsuited for sheep. As a cattle country, 

 though, the Transvaal is well known. The high veld is undoubtedly 

 well adapted for the rearing of cattle, which thrive on the coarser 

 grasses that sheep will not touch. Still, a mob of fat cattle is a most 

 unusual sight in the Transvaal, and it is chiefly owing to this reason 

 that the Boers do not grow their cattle for consumption, but for 

 transport, either for carting to market what little produce they grow, 

 or for forwarding goods and material to mines or storekeepers. 



t; The agricultural possibilities of the country are immense. 

 Practically, the whole of the high veld and the greater portion of the 

 middle veld are capable of growing every description of cereal and 

 vegetable product. Nothing impresses this more on one than a visit 



