The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23

experiment was begun in 1904 when
one hundred head Were brought in
from the wilds. They fell off, one by
one, being attacked by parasites and
disease, and the experiment Is now
considered u failure. The secretary of
agriculture says that he has great
hopes from the zebra colts born in
captivity, and thinks they may even
tualy be handled like donkeys and
horses. AS to the Wild zebras, he says
it is impossible to take them from
the plains and Use them for farm
animals, and he advises the settlers
that oxen and mules are better and
cheaper a wild zebra never becomes
docile and the natives cannot possibly
handle it. The colts, If treated kindly,
seem to change their nature, and l
have seen zebras driven about hitched
to carriages and spring wagons. and
in some places even ridden by natives
How to Break the Xebrn.
l have before me the report made by
the farmer in charge of the govern
ment ranch giving his conclusions as
to zebra training. After saying that
the animals need n wide range, he
after they had been battered and sta
bled for more than year. He says
that one Of these was savage to fe-
rocity and unsafe to approach in the
stall or outside. The other lie hitched
up to an old military wagon, using
a set of mule harness reversed, with
the preceding acting as the breast
collar, and with rope tugs. 1t took
him one whole month before he could
run a pair of these zebras together,
and six weeks before good team could
be depended upon. After that they
went fairly we'll. 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 pullers 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
become 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 on the plains, but
that he knows certain plants and
grasses which are antidotes for them
and seeks them out and cats them
This keeps him IN health, notwith-
standing the parasites. When in cap
tivity such wide ranging Is not posi-
BILE he cannot find his medicine and
as a result grows sick and dies.
Zig Farms In Africa, =
The farm of Mr., Macmillan, which
| have described, is one OF the big es-
tates which are sprnging up here or
the hight African plateau. There are
| q number of the kind, and the papers
4 are filed with warnings to hunters
/ that they must not shoot upon these
large properties, The division OF the
land into big holdings, through favor
itism or in other ways, Is creating q
great deal OF comment. and 1t Is de-
| hounceu by the smaller settlers.
Among the big estates are those OF
Lord Htndlip, who has over 100000
acres, of the East African syndicate
| which has 100000 square miles, oil
32oOoo acres and OF Lord Delnmere
who has 100000 acres and more. LORD
/ pe1amcre's estate IS 1000 feet above
sea level and the equator run,
/ through 1t. He has already 1000 acres
Under cultivation. and has stocked his
pastures with 5000 native sheep ant
500 Imported Merinos He has also
imported rams and 200 Rylnnd-crossed
native lambs. tla Is experimenting in
cattle rearing, and has herd OF 1900
native head including 500 oxen, He
mas fourteen shortllorns and mum