after the war has cleared away barriers that were supposed to have 

 been in the way. 



There are besides these factors still some others which have not 

 only had an effect on South African farming industries, but has 

 effected the world at large and have to some extent revolutionized 

 the world's trade at the time. 



In 1869 the Suez Canal was opened up for traffic, and the Cape 

 and other South African ports that up to then were the great half 

 way stations on the trade routes between Europe, America and the 

 East, saw themselves all of a sudden forsaken by the usual calls of 

 the trading fleets and consequently lost a large amount of direct 

 trade with these countries."^ 



This occurrence effected the trade in remounts with India con- 

 siderably; for horses could be procured from European countries 

 in the same amount of time and at the same prices, if not cheaper. 



Last but not least in this eventful history of the decay and de- 

 generation of a once flourishing and most promising industry is the 

 discovery of the world's richest diamond and gold mines."'* 



In 1870, tlie year generally taken when horse-breeding had 

 lost its prestige and standard of the previous five or six decades, the 

 diamond fields were discovered and had a large share in the with- 

 drawing of the farmers' attention. For some time it stimulated the 

 breeding of cattle very much, for all the heavy machinery had to be 

 transported by the ox-wagons ; but even tliis was in its turn super- 

 seded by the railway. Railway lines were creeping very fast from 

 the various seaports to the great mining centers and with the sub- 

 sequent building of numerous branch lines other modes of convey- 

 ance were overshadowed — the ox-wagon soon became an object of 

 the past and the light horse-wagon which was the pride of those 

 days became rarer and was followed first by the elegant Cape-cart 

 and more recently of course by the motor-lorry and automobile. 



These changes, however, were bound to come and the great 

 secret in order not to be harmed by them, is to adjust the several 

 farming industries in such a way that no one is outbalanced by the 

 other or exists at the expense of another. 



The best and most efficient methods should be adopted in order 

 to cope with the demands and needs of an ever increasing and 



(93) Encyclopedia Brittanica. Vol. XXIV. 



(94) History of Gold Mining Industry. "The Transvaal" British Asso- 



ciatio7i for the advancement of Science. 1905. 



50 



