| Show qt Q AK I 1 N UP TT u F A faria i X R rm I 1 I 1 w Z v x vv t th 1 1 N K 31 zt 0 t aa d g 0 JIMS az arm WHEN the setler better has chosen choan en his farm arm he will lose W no time in proceeding there L EO a as to begin the new round of 0 existence at once the farm may be of 0 acres or of morgen moreen which Is about acres and it will be readily understood that in such a wide area of unbroken land there Is much to do As aa likely as not the farm will consist of an almost unbroken plain with a few undulations or perhaps it may have a few rocky kopjes kopsea on its ita borders to vary the monotonous outlook there may be a watercourse which very likely will be dry it the time of the year Is between april andl and october most of the water courses are dry at that period 0 of the year and form drifts only which sometimes are r a terror to the trekker for tn in rhodesia the farms adjacent to the railway are pretty well all taken up and it ir will be necessary to trek to some soma distant spot either cither by bullock or mule mula wagon so as to enter into possession of an unbroken farm it Is to be borne in mind that while the farms are large in size they are cheari cheap enough costing only some borne 69 per acre for the freehold and even then may be acquired on oil extended payment terms surely there Is every inducement here to the farmer who would seek to own his farm mules and oxen the settler must needs start oft off w with ith mules or oxen and slowly trudge along from day to day towards his destination it Is a pleasure to trek on the weld veld it Is best to start atiat at sunrise and get on a good part of the way before ten or eleven then it la is well to your teams and prepare the forenoon meal the must be near water for that la is the first exin consideration for the mules and oxen they will forage for themselves on the veld and pick up a but af to keep them going from the sweet veld grass the heat of at the th day Is always trying and lasts pretty well till 2 in the afternoon when the teams may be In spanned and its journey renewed for the most part the roads are good but some times tile the drifts are difficult to negotiate lind and it Is just as well to leave the wagon then and negotiate them on toot foot it to la characteristic of the roads which are merely tracks through the veld that near to the river beds they are frequently broken up by the heavy rains which havo have fallen during the wet season and great chasms otten olten occur on the track A detour must be made to avoid these washed away roads as it if you travel in a buck board or a covered ambulance wagon you will certainly have a hard bard time of it it if you try to negotiate a track that has been partially washed away the journey Is interesting enough as you push on in the cool of the evening then you may see game of at all kinds on the veld such as stem duiker buck and all kinds of antelopes and the supply of fresh meat for the journey depends upon being able to stalk same of these successfully cess fully hut but there la is plenty of other game gain e not only of animals but birds such as bustards guinea lovil fol and snipe but the trek to the farm comes to 0 o an end and then the real business of agriculture begins the oxen mules or donkeys which have brought you so BO far must now be utilized for or breaking up the farm and the sooner booner the work Is started the tha better tho the clearing has first to be done and stumping will most likely ie be the abe first task it consists of removing stumps of trees from the ground so go ia a to make a continuous field th the stumps are the relics of tile native method of clearing the weld veld they break down tho the branches ot at tho trees and set fire t to a them at at the base and if possible the stump Is then removed more often than otherwise it 4 la is left behind and the native cultivation goes round about it there are great ex pauses of territory where such stumps exist in large numbers and tho the only thing for the settler to do Is to start and remove them they MRY may come in useful for building a dam over a donya donga so BO ns as to conserve tho the water supply but ip in any case care they must come out sl it if the settle bottler 1 wise he be will have seen that his farm has a large area as during the dry months from april to october he will want alt all the water he ha can get possibly there la Is an alluvial valley with wita black rich coll bell and alongside may be a portion of red formation toll loll or granite formation these are the three principal soils rolls in rhodesia Rho desla and it ii 13 usual to have them mingled on mot most farms they all have their uses but the red formation will bo be found the one which h aara nava oatly to be dealt with the black alluvial soil will be found low down in the valleys and Is always fertile and the granite formation will be found higher up it la Is good tor for grazing but aso responds quickly to a the application of manure ploughing sloughing hing begins begin when the ha stumping has been finished the way will be clear for plough ing and this may be accomplished I 1 shed by the aid of at either cither oxen mules or donkeys dy by the use of the last taking a team of sixteen to a two disc plough it Is possible to plough an ail acre in ili one and a halt half days the team and plough will require three natives to look after them while the ploughing sloughing hing la Is important and and other crops must be sown there are other things to seen been to to begin with seeing that there Is no hause to live in I 1 it t will b be e sufficient for the time belo belag belotti oti to spread a large bucknall buck call over a horl hoil contal pole and so form a tent the next thing to td do will be to build a hut and a long ions time after a dwelling house bricks are essential for the farm buildings and a pit must be sunk and bricks made without delay A an n average native will form about a day so BO that it Is not long before a Is ready these are burnt and building com commenced minced at once first the stables then the corhouse cow house an and dother other places including the shed tor for the fodder it Is wonderful how huge a task it all seems when it Is first planned out but tima and steady application overcome all difficulties difficult les and by anil and by the farm Is complete next cornea comes a dwelli dwelling u g house and when it Is finished it is pleasant to contemplate ironi from KB its or verandah the work which has haa been accomplished the farm la Is stocked with cattle and pigs the dairy is complete tho the bealles are being planted and will be reaped in march auxiliary crops are being tried to see how they prosper and all goes well if a supply ol of water la is available from a river and artificial irrigation then a wonderful transformation can take place as intensive culture will be possible poa sible and all kinds of fruit and vegetables will be produced in ili unlimited quantity during the winter months or from april to october the rainfall throughout rhodesia Is practically none the rainy beason commences in october and ends in mareb and during the remainder of the year the country Is dry and pa parched robed and the heat beat becomes greater as the rainy season approaches on farms where there Is no river it la Is necessary to find water somehow and this his Is done by sinking a well or wells which can be done at very little cost thus a well 50 feet deep may be sunk stink for five pounds and the cost of a windmill pump to raise the water together with a 1500 gallon store tank will be about even with such a ply of water as a that to the be obtained from a well it Is possible to carry on some artificial fruit irrigation and the return will be enormous oranges peaches vines limes figs apricots paapaa paa paa and other fruits responding at once to the supply of water the kind of farm we have imagined Is that of the ordinary farmer who contemplates carrying on general produce but there Is another style of farming which Is much practiced ed and which involves rather more caff capital tal than the ordinary farmer has haa at hla his disposal this Is ranching and the growing of rattle on the veld grasses as a they exist in hope of building up a apat export industry |
