RHODESIA 



This vast territory, larger than France, Germany and Holland, 

 is 450,000 square miles in extent, mostly at an altitude of from 

 3000 to 5000 ft. It contains 90,000,000 acres of good cattle 

 land with excellent natural pasturage, and stock thrive to an 

 exceptional degree in almost every part. No country in the 

 world has better grasses for ensilage-making than Rhodesia. 

 Acres and acres of native grasses can be seen in February and 

 March (towards end of the rainy season) 4 or 5 ft. high, which 

 would give four tons of hay per acre if left till April (commence- 

 ment of dry season), and would make the best of ensilage ere 

 it got too rank ; with no cost nor care of laying the field down in 

 grass nor topdressing and locking same up, no fencing nor re- 

 grassing at any time. Though the general herds of cattle keep 

 up their condition wonderfully through the dry season (the 

 winter months), though they seldom see anything green, just 

 dry grass with plenty of water, yet the aged cows, the cows 

 with young calves, and all weakly stock, would benefit by the 

 ensilage, to say nothing of topping off forward store oxen in 

 the time of year when there is keenest demand. With plenty 

 of ensilage on hand, the trek oxen could be worked much longer 

 hours. Cattle are largely on the increase, and diseases of all 

 kinds, which are naturally prevalent where there are big num- 

 bers of wild animals, are getting rapidly under control. A 

 great point in favour of Rhodesia is that at present it is not 

 cursed with that bane of many countries, the professional poli- 

 tician, and the longer it can be thus free, the more rapid should 

 be its progress. 



During the year 1917, 13,221 head of slaughter cattle were 

 sent to the Union of South Africa, and arrangements were 

 made for the extension of this trade to the entire territory in 



223 



