The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-07-28
MARNET INSOUTHAFRIC
Trade Opportunities For the
United States.
BRITISH MANUFACTURER WARNED

Merchant Tells Him How the Unit
ed states IL Well Represented.
Lively Demand For American Agri-
cultural Implements and Portable
Engines-supcriorit of the Yam
kee Flows.
The possibility Of extending our
market for agricultural implements In
South Africa ls suggested by the fol
lowing article written by prominent
merchant of the Orange River colony
and published In recent number Of
The British Trade Journal, Just re-
coiycd an the treasury bureau Of sta
tistlcs in Washington. Commenting
upon prospective trade opportunities In
South Africa. the writer says:
81 think all are agreed that now the
British flag is hoistcd IN Pretoria, de-
cIaring unmlstakably TO the world
Brilaln's supremacy from Cape Town
TO Zambezla. symbolizlng security, Jus
tlce and equality, that that country Will
soon enjoy an unprecedented era Of
prosperity.
81 would warn our manufacturers,
especially agricultural implement max
ers and those In kindred trades, TO be
first IN the market II appears some
what invldlous 10 single out particular
articles for special mention, so great
Will be the demand for all classes Of
merchandise. Yet 1t Is imperative I'm
the interests of agriculture and agri-
cultural implement makers 10 state a
few facts that have come within my
personal experience. II has been too
much the custom 10 send ont tC South
Africa the same class Of implements
that are selling In this country. Such
a policy IS stupid and ruinous.
"To begin with plows. The sale
OF these Is practically unlimited. yet
20 TO any store in the Orange River
colony and you viii hnd for every
English made pillow three or more
from American and other foreign max
ers. Farmers declare in favor OF the
American pillow because they are
lighter, yet equally strong, less com
pllcatcd, lending themselves more read
lly TO the undulatlng nature Of the
land They are better designed than
the average English plow.
"Thc American pillow does not get
out Of order so readily rs the English
made pillow for the simple reason that
II Is less complicated and II has not 50
many springs II Is very possible that
under new conditions there Will be an
opening for steam blowing. A few
sets are already working successfully
in the Transyaal
"With the exception Of n disk roller,
harrows and rollers are not much used
as yet think there should be n fu-
ture for the disk roller I'm breaking up
newly plowed land. and there is
great extent of new land broken up
every year for maize, on which the disk
roller should be very effective. The
few have seen were Of American
make. Drills and sowing machines
should be cheapened and simpliied as
much as possible. There can be but
little doubt about the future demand
for these, because great and rapid I'M
proyements Will be made in the meth
DDS Of farming out there once the
country Is settled down TO It's normal
self. and after this war there Is bound
10 be a large influx Of new blood.
"For reaping and binding machines
there Is n large market so far scarcely
entered upon by home manufacturers.
for mp 10 the present time they have
been supplied almost exclusively by
American makers. The potential mar
ket for these machines Is very great.
Makers should give machines n good
finishing OF with paint. Paint goes a
long way I'm South Africa In helping
to sell anything. Above ALL they must
not forget to provide duplicate parts
at reasonable prices, procurable at CON
venlent stores.
"Thrashlng machines are mostly OF
British manufacture. Yet here again
there IS room for vigilance, for | have
heard that one or two American thrash
ing machines have been introduced.
The advice offered as TO llghtness and
compactness Of reapers and binders
applies with even greater force In the |
case Of thrashers.
"The demand for portable engines |
has been great In the past, but l think |
the demand In the future will put into
the shade that of the past, not alone
for thrashIng but In every other d.
rectlon were engines are necessary for
the developing Of a new country. It
Is the duty of our manufacturers to
prepare fer the great thrush Of trade
that must follow the war"