The RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
807 
Corn Production in South Africa 
I T is not generally known that South Africa pro¬ 
duces a large quantity of Indian corn or maize. 
An article in the South African Journal of Agricul¬ 
ture gives a description of this production. The 
average production for South Africa runs about 10.- 
000,000 bags of 200 lbs. each and about 13 per cent 
of this is exported. The white varieties are most 
desired in that country, and it is used very largely 
by the natives for food. The production seems to 
be increasing; in fact, the crop today is about dou¬ 
ble that of 1911, and the indications are that, with 
the iiltx’oduction of new methods and machinery. 
South Africa will actually become a competitor of 
this country and Argentina in the pi-oduction of 
corn. In that country the crop seems to depend on 
manual labor of natives and oxen. In the present stage 
of the industry, tx-actors, liox-ses and mules do not seem 
able to compete with the ox team, and coni culture 
does not offer much opportunity to small farmers or 
white laborei’s. The native labor is cheap usually. 
An average of four adult natives will be used on 
220 acres of corn, and the total cost of this labor 
will avei'age about $500. It is said that some fann¬ 
ers ti*y to economize by employing the 
black children or as they are called, in 
that country, piccanins. These labor- 
ers are not usually paid in money; the 
payment is sometimes made in fool 
which consists chiefly of cornmeal, but 
generally, such payment is in the shape 
of perquisites; that is, the natives are 
allowed to run their cattle or pigs over 
certain acx-eage of land in payment for 
their labor in growing corn. As a sort 
of rotation, this pastured land is 
plowed up after several years and 
planted in corn, that apparently being 
the only method of manuring it. When 
payment is made in food, cornmeal is 
given at the rate of about 3 lbs. per 
day 'for •each adult worker. Some 
farmers issxxe this meal once a month 
and let the natives do their own cook¬ 
ing. In other cases a cook boy is em¬ 
ployed, who cooks the meal and serves 
it out to the workers. 
Practically the entire crop in South 
Afx-ica seems to be grown with ox 
laboi’, that being the cheapest form of 
traction. It is figured that the ox costs 
about two-thirds as mxicli as a horse 
or a mule, and it is not likely that any 
change will be made in this respect un¬ 
til the value of the land is greatly in¬ 
creased. The oxen are worked in what 
are called spans, that meaning 14 ox¬ 
en ; seven yoke or pairs, as oxen are 
worked in this country, are attached 
to one plow. The picture at Fig. 292 
shows one method of planting corn. 
There are seven yoke of oxen at¬ 
tached to this plow. As will be seen, 
the plow turns three furrows, and in 
the inside furrow, woi-ks a corn plant¬ 
er, so that the field is plowed and 
planted at oixe operation. Then at the 
completion of each day’s work the groxxnd is har¬ 
rowed to kill out some of the grass and weeds and 
leave the gi-ound level after planting. There ax-e 
other methods of using the oxen, but the one here 
pictured seems to be popular. We have seen farmers 
in this country planting cabbage somewhat as this 
is done. At every third fuiTow cabbage plants were 
placed so that the next furrow would be turned up 
against them and cover the root. These plants start 
well, and with a perfectly straight furrow this is a 
quick and easy way of putting in the plants. It is 
figured that these oxen work about 100 days dux-ing 
the year, although in some cases this service will 
run up to 140 days. The oxen are not fed grain 
or hay, but simply live on pasture, so that the aver¬ 
age yearly cost of an ox under these conditions runs 
not far from $7.50. This is a remarkable showing 
as compared with the cost of handling and feeding 
some of our farm horses, for under some conditions, 
such hox-ses will eat in grain and hay almost their 
entire value in one yeai*. 
The haiTows used are usually of the spike-tooth 
variety, although in some cases the spring-tooth 
seems to be used. Many of the implements are of 
local manufacture suited to this sort of fai-ming. 
In case methods are developed and the price of land 
goes higher, there will be of necessity, a consider¬ 
able market in South Africa for ti-actors and im¬ 
proved farm implements, but as it is now, the ox 
team and a rather crude set of implements ax*e bet¬ 
ter suited to conditions. Apparently little if any 
fertilizer is used, although it has been demon¬ 
strated that the use of phosphate will increase the 
yield. The corn is sometimes grown year after 
year for a period of 20 or 25 years, but farmers 
seem to idealize that a much better production is 
obtained through a rotation. Potatoes and small 
grain are sometimes grown in between crops of 
cox-n, or the land may be seeded or left in wild 
grass for pasture for several years, and then 
brought back into corn once more. The fuel supply 
in that country seems to be light, and in many cases 
the corncobs are saved to take the place of wood or 
coal. The picture at Fig, 291 shows a pile of these 
corncobs covered with a heavy thatch to keep tlieixi 
dry. They are kept in this way for a considerable 
time, and serve \\;ell for fuel purposes. 
It is intei*estixig for Americans to know some¬ 
thing of the development of this African business. 
At px-esent, there seems little to fear in the way of 
competition in the corn markets of the world, but 
it seems very reasonable that within a few years 
methods of culture will change and improve, and 
if that occurs it is not impossible that South Africa 
as soon as possible. We have known cases where 
this was done at night. People put on thick cloth¬ 
ing, heavy gloves and a mask and, after dark, with 
a long pole, gently remove the nest and carx-y it 
away in a basket. It can be left in some fence cor- 
ner or at some distance from the house, or it can be 
burned. The man who attempts this work must 
have a steady nerve and a steady hand, and he is 
likely to be wounded in the engagement. As a pre¬ 
liminary to this battle, it helps to force a plug of 
damp cotton up into the hole at the lower part of the 
nest where the hornets enter. That will help. Of 
course, where the nest is situated so that such a 
thing is possible, it can be set on fire by a gasoline 
torch or a piece of burning paper, but whei*e the 
nest is over the door or under the eaves that is im¬ 
possible. We hear of case& where people claim to 
have killed the hornets by fumigation. It is 
claimed that this was done by dipping a plxig of cot¬ 
ton in bisulphide of carbon and pushing the plug up 
into the entrance hole of the nest. The same thing 
might be done with a wide-mouthed bottle contain¬ 
ing cyanide of potash, with a small amount of sul- 
pliuric acid and water poured in as the bottle is held 
under the nest. It is said that these 
methods have been tried, althoxxgh we 
have had no experience ourselves and 
hesitate to recommend them. In our 
own case, we should put on thick 
clothes and heavy gloves and a veil, 
go by night with a long pole, and 
knock the nest down and throw it as 
far from the house as possible, hav¬ 
ing the doors and windows all closed. 
You would probably get stung, but 
that would seem the quickest way of 
getting rid of the nest, although it is 
true, as we have stated, that the hor¬ 
nets will often live at peace with the 
family if they are not disturbed. 
African Corncobs Protected by a Thatch. Fig. 291 
A Pest of Tent Caterpillars 
Can you tell me how to destroy tent 
caterpillars? We appear to have them 
by the hundreds this year. Last year 
they were very bad. but 10 times xnore 
numerous this Spring. I have always 
burned them, but there is always the dan¬ 
ger of scorching the growth oii the trees. 
It is my practice to take advantage of a 
misty day, or between showers, as then 
the branches are less liable to be scorched. 
I feel that there is or should be some 
preparation, liquid or powder, which if 
sprayed or blown on the caterpillar 
nests would destroy them, but I have 
never seen or heard of them. Some of 
your well-informed readers might be able 
to help me. I spray with miscible oil 
dormant spray in March. A test tree 
I soused, did not miss one inch, as I 
noted the caterpillar eggs in their fa¬ 
miliar Winter quarters just to see if 
Winter spraying would control them. 
Suffern, N. Y. t, h, 
F you have these tent caterpillars 
I 
An African Corn-planter in Operation, Fig, 292 
will present more or less of a serious competition 
with corn growers in this countx-y. 
by 
nate : 
They 
trees 
they 
the hundred only you are fortu- 
we have them by the million, 
breed on wild cherry and these 
are seldom cut and burned as 
should be. The best fruit cam- 
The Unwelcome Guest—the Hornet 
T HIS year, as usual, we have had a number of 
letters from people who say they want to get 
rid of a hornets’ nest which was built close to the 
door or under the eaves of a house. In some cases 
these houses were not occupied early in the season, 
and the hornets got a good start and make themselves 
at home. They certainly make the most of that op¬ 
portunity, and people are afraid that the hornets 
will sting them, and they want to know what they 
can do to destroy the nest without danger to them¬ 
selves. Many of these people have heard that some 
poisonous gas can be used, and the thought of a 
gassed hornet suits their ideas well. In most cases 
the nests are situated so that it would not be possible 
under ordinary conditions to use gas. There is no 
way of confining it around the nest. The chances 
are that the hornets will not do much damage xm- 
less they are interfered with. If there are children 
about who poke at the nest, or if othex-s try to ex¬ 
amine it, they will hear from the hornets without 
delay, but the average lioniet seems disposed to 
mind his own business if others will do the same, 
and there will be little damage if they are not inter- 
fered with. It is hard to convince the average per- 
son that this is true. He wants to destroy the nest 
paign any township could start would 
be an organized hunt for every wild cherry bush or 
tree. If these can be destroyed the caterpillar will 
be put out of business. Scorching or burning is the 
time-honored process. Before the modern gasoline 
torch was invented we took a long pole, wound rags 
at one end, poured on kerosene, set it ablaze and held 
it up against the nest. Thxtt is effective, but dan¬ 
gerous to use near buildings. We do not believe the 
scorching is as damaging as the insects are. The 
best way to kill these insects aside from scorching or 
hand picking is to spray the trees with a solution 
of arsenic in water at about the strength used in 
fighting the codling worm. We use 3 lbs. of the 
arsenic paste to 50 gallons of water. In most sea¬ 
sons the usual spraying for the worm will kill most 
of the caterpillars. The season’s blooming has been 
delayed, while the insects are about on time, so 
that they may do considerable damage before the 
time for the ordinary spray. It is very easy to over¬ 
look the insects, as they are inconspicuous at first. 
We do not know of anything that can bo sprayed 
on the dormant trees so as to destroy the egg 
clusters without injuring the trees. In some cases 
fruit trees are kept clean, but the caterpillars come 
in from outside fields and ci-awl up the trunks. 
Where there ax-e but few ti-ees the trunks can be 
wrapped with sticky fly-paper so as to catch most 
of the insects. The most effective treatment is to 
fight for the future by destroying all the wild cherry 
shrubs and trees in the neighborhood. 
