Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-02-22


i'll captivity,and thinks they may event
ually be handled like donlSeys and
horses. AS to the wild zebras. he says
1t Is impossible to take them from
the plains and use them for farm ami
mails. and he advises the settlers that
oxen and mules are better and cheaper.
A wild zebra never becomes docie and
the natives cannot possibly handle It,
The colts, IL treated kindly. seem TO
change their nature, and 1 have seen
zebras driven about hitched 10 car
riages and spring wagons, and in some
places even ridden by natives.
HOW TO BREAId THE ZEBRA
] have before me the report made by
the farmer in charge of the govern
nient ranch giving his conclusions as
TO zebra training. After saying that
the animals need wide range he tells
how he broke five zebra stations, after
they had been battered and stabbed for
more than a year. He says that one of
these was savage to ferocity and un-
safe to approach in the stall or outside.
The others he hitched UP to an old
military wagon, using a set of mule
harness reversed. with the breechine
acting as the breast-collar, and with
rope tugs. II took him one whole month
before he could run a pair of these
zebras together, and six weeks before
a good team could be depended upon.
After that they went fairly well. He
worked them for several weeks hauling
brush and wood. and at the end they
became thin. They would eat only
grass. and turned up their noses at
bran and corn. They were good pull
ers and strong. Shortly after turning
them out on pasture they picked up
and grew fat once more.
One of the chief troubles of keeping
the zebras in captivity is that they be-
come infected with worms and para
sites of various kinds. Old settlers who
understand the country, say that the
zebra has these same parasites when
he runs wild OH the plains, but that
he knows certain plants and grasses
which are antldotes for them and seeks
them out and eats them. This keeps
him In health, Notwithstanding the par
asltes When In captivity such wide
ranging is not possible, he cannot find
his medicine and as result grows sick
and dies.
BIG FARMS IN AFRICA.
Tho farm of Mr.. Macmillan. which
have described, is one OF the big es-
tates which are springlng up here on
the high African plateau. There are a
number of the kind. and the papers are
filled with warnings to hunters that
tFHy must NOT hnOOl upon these large
properties, The division of the land
into big holdings, through favoritism
or IN other ways Is creating n great
deal of comment, and 1t Is denounced
by the smaller settlers. Among the
big estates are those OF Lord Hindlip,
who has over 100000 acres. of the East
African syndicate. which has 500
square miles, on 100000 acres, and of
Lord Delamare. who has 100000 acres
and mora ord IplafDuraiq pgtuta tc
1000 feet above sea level. and tho equa-
tor runs through H. He has already
1000 acres under cultivation. and has
stocked his pastures with 5000 native
sheep ana 800 imported Merinos He
has also imported rams and 200 Ryland-
crossed native lambs He Is expert
menting IN cattle rearing, and bag "A
herd OF 1900 native head Including 500
oxen. He has IA Shorthorns and a num-
Der OF Herefords. He has also a model
dairy. other farmers ana bringing In
European stock for breeding purposes.
There Is settler not far from Nairohi
who has recently imported 30 Merino
rams and 100 Merlno ewes. This man is
also engaged In dairying, and has sev-
eral fine Guernsey bulls.
NO PLACE FOR POOR AMERICANS.
There is one thing should like to
say about British East Africa: II Is
no place FOR poor Americans, and the
poor Englishman who can do wen here
is wonder Tho land seems 10 be
good, ana 1t can be bought compare
lively cheap; but everything liz far
from the markets, and all imports are
high. Labor Is exceedingly low A
native can OFTEN be employed for or
10 cents a day But It Is dificult IA
control them. and the conditions are
Impossible for the ordinary American
farmer who has but little money ana
relies largely on his muscle and brains,
The British East African government
advises no one TO come to the coun-
try unless he has az least 81 500, and Il
says he should have $1,000 10 DO well.
The cost VI land ranges from 60 cents
TO Sl.30 an acre, according 10 whether
II Is near on far from the ftliluoad. This
Is for farm lands. Pastures can be
bought for as low as 30 cents am acre
and homesteads of 100 acres, with the
right Of prompting $50 acres more,
can be- purchased by inatallmeuts.
spread over IL years. The right of pre-
emption lapses at the end Of three Years
" As acres out OF tho 100 have not been
cultivated AS u general thing tho gov
eminent VIII not grant more than 5000
acres 10 any one man, although 5000
acres may be acquired by special ar
rangement, II would take about 5000
sheep In stock 900 acres OF good graz
ine land, ana the government esti.
mates that Tho nauftal uptadg1 b., at,.rt