RHODESIA 231 



that, as the climate of Rhodesia is almost identically the same 

 as Queensland, stock from Queensland (or any part of Australia) 

 would require less acclimatising than stock from England. I 

 also contend that equally as good blood could be introduced 

 from Australia, and at a lesser cost. Stock in Australia are not 

 so ' forced,' and are, therefore, more hardy and more suitable 

 for the veldt in this country. 



" From an agricultural point of view, the possibilities here 

 are also good. I have known from fifteen to twenty bags of 

 mealies to be the return per acre from various farms on the 

 Kafue ; ten bags, however, is more general — 200 lbs. to the 

 bag. Many parts of the Kafue should grow excellent sugar- 

 cane, the soil being particularly rich. Thousands of acres 

 could be irrigated by lifting water from Kafue River 15 ft., and 

 fed from one main furrow. Thousands of acres could be 

 ploughed without any expense in the way of clearing. Not a 

 stump,' or a tree, or a stone to be moved. Many parts closely 

 resemble the best lands on the lower Burdekin country in North 

 Queensland, where sugar-cane grows so wonderfully well." 



Mr. Richard Walsh, the British South Africa Company's 

 expert in ranching, gave some interesting information when 

 interviewed in London recently. Mr. Walsh selected the big 

 areas, between 3 and 4 million acres, in Rhodesia, which the 

 company is now devoting to cattle ranching. The million-acre 

 ranch known as Rhodesdale, now in a fairly advanced con- 

 dition, is partly in Mashonaland and partly in Matabeleland, 

 and the railway runs through it. A bigger scheme, but one 

 much less advanced, is represented in the Nuenetsi territory 

 of three million acres, lying to the south of Victoria. There is 

 also a ranch of 100,000 acres about 60 miles south of Victoria. 

 Mr. Walsh said :— 



" During the past two years we have got together 35,000 

 cattle, of which 22,000 are on the Rhodesdale ranch, and the 

 balance on the other two. So far, we are simply building up 

 the herds, and we are only disposing of the old cattle. Beyond 

 that, we expect to put practically nothing on the market for 

 three years. At present, we are going on the theory of twenty 

 acres per animal. That is the proportion we are thinking of 

 before starting to export. 



