Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-26
The Country Home
A NEW LIGHT ON THE wILDs OF
ATRTGA
BY MRS. w. I'll. FELTON,

AFRICA
The department of agriculture,
Washington City, has kept in &C.
tive service a skilled botanist who
was attached to the plant industry,
for more than twelve months in the
very heart of wild Africa. He reach
ed Washington early this year, and
the story he brings from Darkest
Africa is more than thrilling. He
went in search of desirable plants to
be cultivated in the United States.
He travelled more than 5000 miles,
making a full trip from the Cape of
Good Hope to Cairo, with extensive
side journeys and cross cuts in the
country.
Along with him all the time tray
eled naturalist, employed by the
Smithsonian Institute, also of Wash
ington City, collecting animal specl-
mems.
These two scientists went together
the entire journey and came out
without scratch or scar.
Said DR.. Shants, the man LOOKING
for new plants: "It is safer to travel
in Africa than in walking around the
streets of the average American city:
If one goes beyond the outskirts OF
civilization one must rough 1T little,
but you can get around In AFRICA
with a fair degree of comfort. FOOD
is always plentiful and cheap. the
continent is pierced by transpofta-
ton lines of various sorts, but II you
go very far you must be prepared to
hike. The only disease you need to
worry about is malaria, and then
only in the tropics, where, IT you try
you can easily avoid 1T. Sleeping
sickness and the tsetse fly have been
greatly exaggerated to the white
nan Seventy per cent of the natives
AFFECTED with sleeping sickness are
now cured by remedy for another
disease" He also said: You can
now get into the heart or AFRICA
about as easily as travelling IRON
Chicago to San F,rancisco-that -
after YOU get to Africa"
These two scientists travelled over
the vast region of South Africa, cape
Colony, Natal, the TransvaaI ana
Rhodesia mainly by rail. Bukoma IS
2 600 miles from the Cape OF Coca
Hope, yet they had rail Transportation
all the way Bukoma is on the euge
Of the Belgian Congo. For all except
tbe last $50 miles the travellers had
through trains, dining cars and Sleep
ing cars. like we have here at nome.
At the terminal they secured rooms
with a Portuguese trader VINO llVeo
comfortably, until a boat came alohs
that made the Upper congo. Au ~
mobiles are not unknown even In the
remote places of Africa. Most OF
tham are made in America" SAID Or.
0i For 80 the native African. he had
on1v the kindest words and gfateI,u VI
thoughts, especially with those Wmo
were in contact with Wh1te cl Hr,i
ZION They are friendly and hospl-
DT Shants brought back more than
con snacimens of African plant llle
fiat that appear to afford possibilities OIL
American cultivation. is-
1--WE are afflicted with many mis-
conceptions about Africa" SAD II II,
shants. especially G 10 fhn desert trf
ragion of North Africa it is fearful
1v hot and rather warm along t ne
Nile as we came out, but In Central
Africa in the equatorial region tue
climate is delightful. There IS als 't
much rain in the wet seasons, puG
over in the jungles of the congo,
never saw the temperature go oes az
81. In the semi-temperate zone OF
south Africa the climate is almost
"Trave1ing is by no means diff
cult on dangerous as you H1sns
think. I saw white women traVellng
alone and with perfect safety an INC
fair comfort in those regions, Wnlch
were first explored only Sehel
ton or so ago" .
Concluding he said, Africa is a
wonderfully rich continent and ex-
.c @etii varied The white man is is
subducing it rapidly: Much OF :, II
is still gloriously wild and unc1v WI :
lied still. The immense native plant
life is but partially known. 5r 60.
areas have not yet been explored Tor
desirable plants" 49,
Thus a marvellous recital of the
possibility of Africa. If the Jews
are due to recomer' Jerusalem 10
themselves, why should not Africans
recover their own native lands