The Conquest of the Desert 



money the Bastards received the land which 

 could be placed under the furrow. Since that 

 time the Bastards have gradually been dis- 

 placed by European colonists. New furrows 

 have been built, and every year more and more 

 land is being watered by the Orange River. An 

 erf at Upington consists of six morgen. An erf 

 is valued at the present time at fifty pounds per 

 morgen, which includes a building plot — viz. a 

 dry erf above the furrow having an area of 

 100 by 100 feet. As I have pointed out, the 

 valley of the Orange River is probably the 

 grandest citrus region in the world, and both 

 river banks will one day be studded with 

 thousands of orange - trees. The two great 

 needs of this industry at Upington are, firstly, 

 the Government entomologist to instruct the 

 growers how to deal with red scale, which has 

 already made its appearance, and, secondly, 

 the Government horticulturist to give a practical 

 demonstration in picking and packing, the best 

 stocks to use, and the most profitable varieties 

 to plant for the oversea markets. The fatal 

 error of the orange farmers about Upington and 

 Kakamas is the excessive use of water. This 

 induces the disease known as root-rot, the 

 symptoms of which are readily recognised in 



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