374 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. 1, 1899. 
RHODESIA AS AN AGRICULTURAL 
COUNTRY. 
By Me. M. A. L^ngaed, Secretary Foe 
'Agkicultueb. 
Anyone who has travelled through Ehodesia, and 
regarded it from the point of view of a pi-aoUcal 
farmer, cannot fail to recognise tliat whatever attract- 
tious it may possess in the shape of its minerals, it 
has undoubtedly vast possibililies in the way of agri- 
cultural industries. Too many observers have been 
content to base their opinion upon a hasty journey 
through the country by stage coach, and have come to 
the conclusion that because so little land is actually 
under cultivation, it is not as a whole fitted forfarming. 
It must not be forgotten, however, that Rhodesia had 
had its fall share, if not more than its share, of actual 
difficulties and obstacles to progress ; and the scarcity 
of stock suited to arable cultivation has been kneely 
felt. The locust disease fungus will, it is hoped, do 
much towards abating the locust pest ; the native 
troubles are a thing of the past, and rinderpest is 
rapidly disappearing from our stock. Now that the 
country is in a more settled state, and the conditions 
of existence are becoming day by day more easy, alike 
to the farmer and the artisan, there is good reason for 
the belief that a steady and increasing demand will be 
created for the produce of the soil, which will sti- 
mulate the agricultural industry of the country. 
Another result of the unsettled condition of the 
country, and the drawbacks which have had to be en- 
countered, has been that farming, so far as it was 
carried on, was regarded more or less as a specula- 
tion, and the prices realised at times for forage, etc., 
have been so high that the money that would other- 
wise have been re-iuvested in agricultural wants have 
been diverted to other channels. 
In making a general review of the agricultural out- 
look of Rhodesia, the most important feature to be 
considered is of course the nature and formation of 
the soil. Generally speaking, the country may be 
described as both fertile and well watered, and admir- 
ably adapted, not only for breeding stock of all kinds, 
but also for raising cereals and other produce of the 
tropical and sub-tropical climate. That this is no 
mere theory, is amply proved by the results attained 
by the natives, wheiher Mashonas or Matables. These 
tribes were the possessors of vast beards of catcie, 
which roamed about on the abundant pastures; and 
though their equipments for tilling the ground were 
necessarily of the rudest kind, they had no difficulty 
in raising mealies, sweet potatoes, rice, beans, to- 
bacco, and in fact all kinds of produce. How much 
more than can be done by skilled agriculturists with 
all the latest farming appliances, a requisite amount 
of capita), and a sufficiency of native laboui- ? With a 
comparatively small capital an energetic farmer should 
have no difficulty in earning a comfortable liveli- 
hood for himself and his family, and making provision 
for the future ; that is if the farmer is prepared to put his 
own hand to the plough. Unfortunately in the past 
our farmers have shown a tendency to rely too much 
upon native labour, and have not always given the re- 
quisite amount of superintendence, and the natural re- 
sult is that the crops were neglected or improperly 
handled. 
It has been asserted by some critics that owing to 
the long duration of the dry season in this country the 
effects of drought would be certain to discourage any 
serious attempt at farming. But on examination, this 
argument falls to the ground. With a soil whicli con- 
tains BO much lime, and is formed on a granite bed the. 
effects of drought are not so keenly felt as might be 
anticipated, and the decay of the rank vegetation 
which grows so abundantly forms an excellent manure 
for the soil, and leaves the ground ready fer cropping 
without the aid of artificial dressing. Wi'.h such 
natural advantages as are po.^scssed by Rho- 
desia, as regards both soil and climate, a thorough 
system of agricultre, assisted where nece jsary by 
irrigation,' should yield good results, equal to those 
attained in other countries, such as Canada or 
Australia, Little has yet been done in the way 
of cereal growing as the demand has neces- 
sarily been limited. Most of the oats and barley 
grown here have been used f ^r forage, which at 
present yields a handsome return. The only kind of 
agricultural pursuit that has been gone into on any 
considerable scale is maiket gardening, and hfre the 
results have been very gratifying, if other colonists 
were to pay a visit to the markets of Bulawayo and 
Salisbury, they would probal)ly be surprised to note 
the extent and variety of the crops raised, and their 
general excellence in quality. At present the market 
gardens are principally carried on by Indians in the 
neighbourhood of our large towns but with the near 
development of the mining resources of the country 
there is still scope for a further development of this 
remunerative resource, with which poultry and dairy- 
farming can be carried on at the same time. More at- 
tention miiiht also be paid to fruit growing in a 
region the climate of which is so admirably adapted to 
almost all kinds of sub-tropical and tropical fruits. 
This is a want that is very much felt throughout the 
country. 
It is somewhat difficult to present a sketch of what 
kind of cereals and other crops would thrive best in 
any particular locality, but after paying a visit to Mr. 
Rhodes's estate at Inyanga, in the Umtali district, 
one is left in no doubt that with a plentiful supply of 
water, farming on a systematic basis can be success- 
fully carried on, both as regards cereals, vegetables, 
and fruits. As regards the pastoral industries, it must 
be admitted that since the conquest of the country 
many serious obstacles have had to be overcome. 
The various diseases and troubles to which stock is 
subject in this country have quickly developed and 
spread throughout the teriritory, but with the measures 
that have been adopted by the Government to stamp 
out rinderpest and pleuropneumonia, together with 
the able advice of the Veterinary Department of the 
Cape Government, which is always at our disposal, 
there is every reason to hope for better things in the 
near future. It is not easy to pronounfe more definite- 
ly on this important subject, as qualified men find it 
difficult to arrive at any definite conclusion as to why 
stock in this country should be so susceptible to so 
many diseases. However, it is to be hoped that with 
the introduction of a stronger and purer breed of stock 
the cattle will be able to throw off many of the minor 
ailments. There seems to be no question that the 
cattle reared by the natives are much more liable to 
many of these troubles than stock bred in the south 
or elsewhere, and doubtless this is due largely te the 
in-breeding practised by the Kaffir tribes. Indeed, 
it is not unlikely that this has proved a source of weik- 
ness in the past, and that to it may be ascribed the 
rapid transmission of the fatal soourges which have 
carried off so many cattle and horses. Tne remedy 
appears to lie in the importation of a better and 
, hardier class of stack, which I hope will be under- 
taken at no distant date. — Cape Times. 
<9— 
THE ALKALOIDAL CONTENTS OF 
CINCHONA. 
According to an article appearing in the Journal 
de Pharniacie et de Chimie, the following are the 
ususl limits of alkaloidal content in various groups 
of bark: — 1. Suocirubra from .Java, 6 to 8 per cent, 
of total alkaloid ; quinine sulphate, 2 to 3 pea cent. 
2. Loxa, from St. Thomas, 5 to 6 per cent, of tota 
alkaloid; quinine sulphate, 2 to 2j per cent. 3 
Loxa, from Nilgiris, 4 per cent, of total alkaloids 
1 tolj per cent, of quinine sulphate. 4. Calisaya 
from Bolivia, 5 to 6 per cent, of total alkaloids; 3 to 
4^ per cent, of quinine sulphate. There is i-oom for 
Nilgiri bark to improve, and it is to be hoped that 
one effect of Mr, Stauden's recent visit to Java will 
be an increase iu the alkaloidal content o. Indian 
grown cinchona. 
