RHODESIA 159 



sickness is very prevalent in Rhodesia, and although a prophy- 

 lactic serum has been discovered for the inoculation of mules, and 

 is successful, the perfected serum for horses has yet to be 

 produced. 



The experienced cattle breeder from Argentina, Australia, 

 or the United States must preserve a very open mind if he is to 

 be successful in Rhodesia. All local methods of cattle breeding 

 are not necessarily wrong in principle, because they appear 

 patriarchal and antique, according to our notions, and the new 

 environment will modify many preconceived ideas. The 



experience of other lands and ways of working is of inestimable 

 value, and slowly many modifications and changes of present 

 methods can be introduced. Any too abrupt change is not 

 likely to work for good. The Kaffirs, who have to be employed, 

 as cattle men, understand their own ways of working, and their 

 habits do not lend themselves to sudden changes. The pioneer 

 breeder of improved stock will probably confine himself at first 

 to such elementary changes in native methods as the separation 

 of heifers and young steers from the parent stock, weaning them 

 as late as possible ; the age marking of each crop of calves by 

 ear mark, changing this annually ; the separation and final cul- 

 ling and fattening for sale of the aborting cow or heifer ; the early 

 castration of male calves; dipping for the destruction of 

 parasites; letting the cattle run at night where possible, or in 

 the event of this being impossible owing to the shortage of cattle 

 herds, or owing to the presence of too numerous predatory 

 animals, making the night corrals large, and changing them 

 frequently. The conservation of fodder in hay or ensilage luust 

 be taken in baud. The curtailing of the periods of bull service 

 must be done with very great judgment, as these native cows are 

 accustomed to run with the bull, and are not accustomed to 

 taking service at in-earranged restricted periods. Any abrupt 

 retiring of the bulls for more than a month would, for many 

 years, result in a much diminished crop of calves at branding 

 time. At first breeders must be content to avoid only the 



dropping of calves at the commencement of the rainy season. 

 For many years any cow, no matter what her class, which breeds 

 a calf will be retained in the herd until the country be stocked up. 



Probably the most interesting and most important develop- 

 ment of cattle breeding in Southern Rhodesia has been the 

 acquisition of large tracts of land there by the Lemco and Oxo 

 Company, commonly known as the Liebig's Extract of Meat 

 Company. As a firm of scientific cattle- breeders, owning 

 enormous tracts of landed property in Argentina, Uruguay, 



