DOMESTIC GROWTHS 185 



We now come to domestic growths, or those 

 destined for the use of the tribes, and planted on 

 the outskirts of their numerous villages. Of these, 

 first and foremost we find the staple Millet 

 [Sorghum vulgare). This cereal, known through 

 South and South Central Africa as " Mapira," is 

 very extensively cultivated wherever the soil is 

 even moderately productive. This is the native 

 food of the country par excellence, and in addition 

 to a food stuff, is used, boiled and fermented, in 

 the production of beer. It is closely run on the 

 Shire River, and in some of the highlands, by 

 maize, which latter, however, requires a richer and 

 damper soil. Among the maize and millet gardens 

 large quantities of pumpkins are sown, several 

 varieties, notably the Luff'a osgyptica, the Cucumis 

 figarei, the Cucurbita maodma, and the C. pepo, as 

 well as the calabash gourd (Lagenaria vulgaris), 

 sprawling about amidst the dry grass, " Cobbler's 

 peg" weed, and other low types of vegetation 

 which are allowed to grow with the village food 

 stuffs. Rice is only found in large areas near the 

 coast, but another cereal planted for its oil is the 

 Eleusine coracana, or " Meixuera." At a time 

 when settlers in these districts of Africa have been 

 seriously exercised to discover profitable forms of 

 export, it has surprised me that efforts have not 

 been made in favourable localities to plant maize, 

 and that other profitable product the common 

 Ground-nut [Arachis hypogcea) in large quantities. 

 For maize the demand in European markets is 

 large and increasing, and many years must pass, 1 

 doubt not, before ground-nuts will show any 



