THE WORLD'S MEAT FUTURE 



weather in winter. The difference between the eastern and 

 western Bides of this range of mountains, which extends right 

 through the island, is very striking when you travel from Fort 

 Dauphin. Up to a small village called Ranopiso, twenty-two 

 miles from Fort Dauphin, vegetation of the ordinary tropical 

 character and rice fields, mango, and banana trees are con- 

 spicuous on all sides. Between Ranopiso and Bevilang 

 (" Many Saucepans "), however, a long range of hills is crossed, 

 and the character of vegetation changes completely. At 

 Bevilang, which is only ten miles from Ranopiso, the vegeta- 

 tion is of a unique character, and all the trees are powerfully 

 armed for resisting drought. In many instances leaves have 

 practically disappeared. The stem has swollen, and seems to 

 take the place of leaves. Then these stems and leaves are 

 covered with a thin film of wax, which acts as a further pro- 

 tection against the evaporation of moisture, while the " latex " 

 or milky sap, which flows in the bark of so many trees and vines 

 of the country, and provides some very good rubber, seems to 

 be intended as a further protection against drought. 



Another protection is needed, however, to prevent the ex- 

 termination of plants valuable as forage, and this is a protec- 

 tion against cattle stock itself. This is abundantly provided. 

 There are more thorns to the square yard in the Ondroy bush 

 than there are to the acre of English forest. The fantsi-holicke, a 

 wonderful tree, which has been compared to a forest of upturned 

 elephant trunks, is covered from the ground to its highest tip 

 by thorns about an inch in length, disposed of regular spirals 

 about an inch or two apart. Between these thorns, and just 

 about the same length, grow small, oval, flat leaves, with the 

 consistence of soft leather. 



The pastures are, however, of greater interest than the bush, 

 and these I must now describe. There are in this part of the 

 country two entirely distinct types of pasture. The one which 

 seems to belong to the calcareous and sandy regions appears to 

 be ideal pasture for sheep. In fact, the natives call it " voln'ny 

 ondry," or sheep's pasture ; it is short and sweet. The other 

 is found mostly in granite regions and generally on eruptive 

 soil. It is called " danga," and is to Madagascar what the 

 spear grass is to Australia. The seed is not more than about 



