SOUTHERN AFRICA. 11.5 
of tlie soil and favorable climate, than to any exertions of 
skill or industry. Their plough is an unwieldy machine 
drawn by fourteen or sixteen oxen, just skims tlie surface, 
and, if the soil happens to be a little stiff, is as frequently out 
of the ground as in it ; hence, in most of their corn fields, 
ma}^ be observed large patches of ten, fifteen, or twenty square 
yards without a stem of grain upon them. Such grounds, 
Avhen sown and harrowed, are infinitely more rough than the 
roughest lea-ploughing in England. They have not the least 
idea of rolling the sandy soils, which are sometimes so light 
as to be sown without ploughing. Sometimes, towards the 
end of the rainy season, they turn the ground and let it lie 
fallow till the next seed-time ; but they rarely give themselves 
the trouble of manuring, except for barley. 
For returns of corn in general they reckon upon fifteen 
fold ; in choice places from twenty to thirty, and even much 
greater where they have the command of water. The grain 
is not thrashed, but trodden out in circular floors by cattle. 
The chaff and short straw of barley are preserved as fodder 
for their horses, and for sale ; the rest of the straw is scat- 
tered about by the winds. They do not even give them- 
selves the trouble of throwing it into the folds v/here their 
cattle are pent up by night, which would be the means 
of procuring them a very considerable supply of manure, 
and, at the same time, be of service to their cattle in cold 
winter ni^'hts. 
The following rough statement will serve to shew the cir- 
cumstances of an ordinary corn-boor of the Cape. 
Q 2 
