39G 



THE AGBICULTUBAL JOURNAL. 



account for the present prevalpnce. Ticks 

 infest the vegetation not yearly burned. 

 One day I told a Kafir lad, wlien I was 

 burning round, to shove back some old 

 grass in a plantation. After a minute or 

 two he ran to me to show his arms. They 

 were covered with myriads of minute 

 ticks." 



Forestry. 



Mr. Nicholson has about 50 acres of 

 tree plantations, and while going through 

 them he i-emarked that it was a great pity 

 people did not know more about the kinds 

 to plant. He has some fine specimens of 

 pinus insignis fifty to sixty feet high, but 

 now, although only some 25 years old, 

 they are beginning to ret. In this dis- 

 trict, at any rate, the pinus insignis is a 

 failure. The yearly rainfall, he thinks, 

 is too small and of too short duration, 

 considering the heat, and, as a rule, the 

 shallowness of the soil. Rethinks that the 

 never-rotting sneezewood should be 

 planted, also the white and black iron- 

 wood and stinkwood. He saj'S that the 

 common gumwood {E. Globulus) growing 

 on his farm appears to be much tougher 

 than that grown elsewhere, say at t ich- 

 mond, where there is a great depth of 

 soil. His gum posts are still perfectly 

 sound, whereas posts from gum grown at 

 Richmond have in less time tum- 

 bled over from rot. As an orna- 

 mental tree he speaks highly of the 

 Imvumvu. It is nearly always in 

 leaf ; in spring the foliage is a beautiful 

 light green, and in winter a remarkably 

 dark green, is easily transplanted or grown 

 from seed, and it^stands considerable frost. 

 It is fairly quick growing, and reaches a 

 height of 30 or lO feet. Mr. Nicholson 

 grows bamboos, and, of course, finds 

 infinite use for them. Near the house is 

 a row of symmetrical oak trees, growing 

 for the mot-t part in nothing but shale. 

 Originally they were young treees about 

 four inches in diameter, all above the 

 stem being cut off, and the same with the 

 roots. They resembled just l)ig clubs, 

 and were put in as posts for a fence. It 

 is not everybody, as Mr. Nicholson re- 

 marked, knows that young oaks can be 

 60 handled. Mr. Nicholson has several 

 miles of Mauritius Thorn fence. When 

 two or three years old the fence is im- 

 penetrable to man or beast, and if acci- 

 dentally burned down, it has the merit of 



soon growing again into an effective state. 

 But it is very big and spreads, and ruins 

 the ground for fully twenty yards on 

 either side. The extermination, however, 

 is not difficult. 



Native Medicines. 



Mr. Nicholson is enthusiastic as to the 

 properties of many of the native medi- 

 cines, and he was good enough to press 

 me to taste various drugs he had in stock. 



" Mhlwazi," he said, " comes from the 

 Tugela District, and is an infallible cure 

 for cattle that get blown. It is marvel- 

 lous ; you see a beast swollen out like a 

 balloon, and if you give a bit of this bark, 

 say of the area of your little finger nail, 

 ground up and mixed in hot water, the 

 animal's sides, in a quarter of an hour, 

 will just fall together. Kafirs use it if 

 suffering from flatulence. 



Mhlabelo is good for wounds in man or 

 beast that are slow in healing. A piece 

 is inserted in the flesh near the wound, 

 and it acts as a seton. 



Buchu leaves come from the Cape, 

 and are steeped in any spirit. A little of 

 the infusion is most healthful, especially 

 when taken with gin, or en zonen as the 

 liquor used to be called here in the pre- 

 whisky days. 



Snake medicine is a wonderful cure. 

 This small quantity (about a wine-glass- 

 ful of coarse brown powder) cost me 10s. 

 I got it from an old woman who will not, 

 for any price, sell the secret. Kafirs from 

 all about send to me for a dose of it when 

 a snake bite occurs. 



The Thorn Aloe is a most useful altera- 

 tive and purge. With that plant, which 

 need cost nothing, a man can defy fowl- 

 sickness if he will follow my advice. 

 Take a couple of large green leaves, 

 bruise or pound them well ; add GOlbs. of 

 mabele, and enough water to soak all, and 

 occasionally stir. Feed the mabele to the 

 poultry, and repeat during the sickly 

 season every fortnight, and the losses will 

 be nil. For gallsickness I find it also a 

 first-class remedy. Take a big leaf and 

 pour on it equivalent to two wine bottles 

 of boiling water. When cool give the 

 liquor as a drench. I have, as you see, 

 several of these aloes handy by the house. 

 In transplanting, be careful to plant the 

 top ; the root end alone comes to noth- 

 ing." 



