The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-09-05
OSTRICH FARMING IN AFRICA.
Report on the Live stock Industry
in Cape Colony.

SUI General at Cape Town. has just sent
10 the State Department report on live
stock in South Africa. He eucIoses "A
statement from Mr.. CUrreu. the Under
Secretary for Agriculture for the Cape
Colony Government. as follows.
Ostrich farming was AT its first in
CeTtiou. highly speculative. owing % want
Of knowledge and experience. hut for the
last fifteen years IL has been "a fairly sta
BILE and highly successful industry. The
following shows the difference In value
OF three normal years. 1890 number OF
birds u44u, feathers 2I2,z76 pounds. val
ue s2,54{,45 rate per pound Sl279i 1895
number Of birds Is. 463 feathers S53. sol
pounds. value &2.56s AL. rate per pound
$40, 1889. number Of birds 250572, feath-
ers SI3IS2 pounds. value $4og5.5s3. rate per
pound S1ZI4
In the districts Of King WuIiamSt0wu,
Bedford. and Somerset East. holdings of
$3.50 60 l0.ee0 sheep are 90 De found, these
districts carrying from go 10 - sheep
per square mile The districts farther TO
the east and north. known as Jhe grass
districts, carry from $50 TO $50 sheep per
square mile, and compare very fayorably
with the western slopes Of New South
Wales and the Rveriua district The two
great scourges which affect sheep raising
are the bIood-sucking tick and the scab-
The trend OF experiments lead 10 the hope
that the tick. after a lapse Of time, be-
comes uoupathogenic. and that an effect
uaI means of combating the disease viii
be found iu incubation with an atJeuu-
ated form Of the poison. Ii is impossible
to hope that scab win be successfully
eradicated without the adoption Of more
stringent regulations than the present
-Augura goat farming is an increasing
and prosperous industry. The production
Of mohair has steadily increased In TWEEN
ty-six years from l.Uo.G0O to 100000
pounds per annum; the total animal pro-
duction is now greater than that OF any
other country IN the world, exceeding
even Turkey by over , per cent in the
lower grades Of hair. though in quality
and weight it is inferior 10 the finest quail
ity Of Turkish mohair-
'One Of the great lessons Of the war
was 10 show the value Of the South AZ
ricau horse. If the Beers had not been
so excellently mounted as they were. on
horses bred in the TransvaaI, Orange
Free State, and Cape Colony, the war
would have worn a different aspect The
South African horse can live on much less
food than an English horse he does not
suffer from the climate he does not tum-
bic into holes he is sOunder, Is more sen
sibIe, and learns better 10 stand alone
without being tied up. The Farming In
dUstry, Of Cape Colony, says: There is
little doubt that mule breeding. as well as
horse breeding, il conducted on successful
priuiDIes and managed skillfuIly. has d
great future before II in South Africa. the
animals bred being not only Tor use in
the colony and up country. but for ex-
Ind
for army purposes.
cape Colony possesses a vast area
north Of the Orange River. about 81 G0
square miles in extent, which IS better
adapted for cattle rearing han any OIher
portion Of the colony, and promises 10 be
world The dairy industry has only re-
Gently become Of Importance. The num-
Der Of cooperative cT-1n.eries is rapidly
increasing, and this Industry would have
already reached considerable dimensions
except for the rindcrpest
Fruit and yiticultGre may be regarded
as IN their infancy but they are able 10
cope with the growing demand Of such
home markets as kimberley. Johannes I
burg and BuiawayO. Tie opening I'd Of
Iresh fruit and vine districts by railway
extension together with the advantages I
the Cape has over other fruit-growing
countries IN is geographical and its eli
matte conditions. Will greatly develop the
expectation Of fruit The rapid Increase
OF fruit exports is shown by the follow
ing figures: 1875. S16s cases, 1883. To-
81 cases. IS99-Is0o 1855 cases.
The Cape produces a good wholesome I
ana palatable wine, which finds a ready
sale IN tn colony, the supply is much un- I
Ger the demand, and wine making, there
lore affords excellent prospects
The colony has a forest organization I
DONG work uneQualed IN any British col
0ny- Inc fine plantations on the Cane
mats are the largest and most successful /
III the southern hemisphere Enough /
1oniferoUs wood could be produced by me ]
.heap process Of broadcast sowing 70 rem
der South Africa an exporting timber /
Some Of the finest grain-e-rov-frr- dis /
-icts are Alival North, HerscheL BarkIv 4
-iSl- and BaSUtoiauG- Only easy access I
10 q market Is required 20 throw areas Of {
anu under cultivation or wheat rye and .
''lS- I ne cultivation Of lUCtrn is carried I
IN with most satisfactory rasr.rrs .
throughout that large area Of the colony /
> mon enjoys a rainfall u from twenty 10 I
prJy inches II furnishes from f11Ir ~ I
TX crops IN summer and from one 10 two /
'rUps in winter
1855 an annual rainfall Of from twenty I
TO forty inches. The ufteen or fUa~fJ- /
hcheS OF fairly certain winter rainfall Is Z
L'GEn Tor The winter grain crDus Wa
Ter boring has been OF much service FOR
sattriug stock and for horticulture. and I
llE'ugh a depth OF from - 10 llB feet fe \
i.' Gs,.aL tsEeI Al winch water Is struck. 4
he volume Is not sufficient for agricul-
ure on a large scale. ATteSian well brr-
hSS. At great depths. have vet TO b. tried 4
yStt Tnatically- but there seems no reason
or asserting that the experience uatt.--f I
p Australia should not be repeated in /
south Africa
''SisaI culture in East Africa is or0-
,TgSSIng- there being over I5Agl0 nIan+s
CL out IN one locality \ few war.
T"USht from GuCatau in 1891. and the
.Gnbtr has grown as mentioned In an
'Jher locality are plants covering qqy
crrs- SIX hundred acres Of Naurirfus I
gave hemp are laid out in the same ter
lt0ry."