84 
TRAVELS IN 
the horfes, fhakes hands with the men, and klfles the women : 
he wifhes them health, and they wlfli him a good journey. In 
this manner a traveller might pafs through the whole country. 
If the economy of the African farmer's houfe be ill managed, 
that of his land is equally bad. The graziers indeed, in many 
places, are not at the trouble of fowing any grain, but exchange 
with others their cattle for as much as may be necelfary for the 
family confumption. But even thofe who have corn-farms 
near the Cape feem to have no kind of management. They 
turn over a piece of ground with a huge mif-fhapen plough 
that requires eight or ten horfes, or a dozen oxen, to drag it 
along : the feed is fown in the broad-cafl: way, at the rate of 
about a buftiel and a half to an acre ; a rude harrow is juft 
paffed over it, and they reap from ten to fifteen for one. No 
manure comes upon the ground except a fprinkling for barley. 
In low fituations near rivulets, where the water can be brought 
upon the ground, they reap from thirty to forty for one. 
Water in facH: is every thing in Southern Africa. Not like the 
Chinefe, whofe great art of agriculture confifts in fuiting the 
nature and habit of the plant to that of the foil, which he alfo 
artificially prepares, the Dutch peafant at the Cape is fatisfied 
if he can command only a fupply of water. He beftows no 
kind of labor on the ground but that of throwing in the feed : 
the reft is left to chance and the effeds of an excellent climate. 
The time of feeding is in the months of May and June ; and 
of harveft, from November to January. The grain is trodden 
out by horfes on circular floors in the open air ; and the ftraw 
is left to rot or to be fcattered about by the winds. 
We 
