228 THE WORLD s MEAT FUTURE 



numerous predatory animals, making the night corrals large, 

 and changing them frequently. The conservation of fodder in 



hay or ensilage must, be taken in hand. 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 buU, and 

 are not accustomed to taking service at prearranged 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 commence- 

 ment 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, 

 Paraguay, and South-West Africa, with countless herds of cattle 

 the company has vast stores of successful experience to draw 

 upon, and its presence in Rhodesia is a valuable asset to the 

 country. 



"The question is frequently asked," says a recent writer, 

 w ' ' Which is the best country in which a young man with a 

 small capital can make a start at cattle breeding ? ' With some 

 experience of other lands. I think I can safely give a verdict in 

 favour of Southern Rhodesia. Cheap land can still be obtained 

 to the south of the Zambezi, and if young men will only keep 

 clear of the towns, where the cost of living is ruinously expen- 

 sive, good use can be made of a small capital. Previous ex- 

 perience in other countries is desirable, but not essential. No 

 man, however, should invest his capital in land or stock with- 

 out at least two years' experience in the country. The native 

 languages — Matabele and Mashona — should be learned. Under 

 the intelligent direction of the Director of Land Settlement, 

 Government farms have been established to which the aspiring 

 ' Estanciero ' can go to learn his work. I met some young 

 men who had enlisted in the Rhodesian Police, and there 



