RHODESIA 235 



is now in vogue, and that compulsory clause enforced the 

 building of the requisite tanks. Seeing the night herding, 

 especially of working oxen, that other districts have to resort 

 to, impressed the excellence of the Hartley pasturing, that ren- 

 ders that expedient unnecessary, but the benefits of the free 

 night grazing are so well recognised that wherever possible 

 fenced paddocks have ousted the primitive kraaling methods. 

 The number of miles of fencing will immediately be extended 

 so soon as wire is again reasonably procurable. 



Southern Rhodesia offers the farmer three varieties of 

 climate and country, says a recent writer :— 



" (a) The high grazing veld of Matabeleland, with an alti- 

 tude of 4000 feet ; (6) the higher altitude of northern and 

 middle Mashonaland, with a greater rainfall and favoured con- 

 ditions for the culture of mealies, tobacco and oranges ; and 

 (c) the low-lying country skirting the Limpopo, which is also 

 suited to cattle. There are ranches in Mashonaland on the 

 granite lands which are too poor for mealies, but the cattle are 

 found chiefly on the Matabele side where the grass is shorter, 

 and, it is said, sweeter. The Zulus, like most natives, were 

 good judges of cattle country, and when Moselikatze went 

 north, he picked his site on land where now are most of the 

 white cattlemen, and his herds grazed west to where the big 

 Rhodesdale ranch is situated, and south to where the other 

 big ranch, owned by Liebig's, is located between the Limpopo 

 and the Matoppos*. 



" Formerly, business men in Bulawayo talked ' gold ' ; now 

 they talk ' beef ' ; and in the clubs most heated arguments 

 rage between the Hereford men and the Polled Angus followers, 

 while Shorthorn, North Devon, and Sussex admirers have a 

 say. As a matter of fact, no breed has yet been proved, and the 

 ranchmen are at present finding out not what breed is best 

 for the whole country, but what breed or breeds do best under 

 the varying conditions in various districts. The B.S.A. ranch- 

 men have, for example, satisfied themselves that Shorthorns 

 do better on the southern ranch below Victoria than they do 

 at Rhodesdale, while Liebig's are inclined to think that the 

 Polled Angus and Sussex are the best choice. They are trying 

 out the breeds, and as they swap experiences, they will in time 



