SOUTH AFRICAN FARMING

Southland Times, Issue 23332, 16 October 1937, Page 14

SOUTH AFRICAN FARMING

Southland Man’s Impressions RECOVERY FROM DEPRESSION EXTENSIVE GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE (SPECIALLY WRITTEN FOR THE SOUTHLAND TIMES) (By NOEL DERRETT) The farming community of South Africa has been severely hit by the fall in value of products there as elsewhere, accentuated also by drought in 1932-33 and locust invasions. From the information I gained, land values have been reduced considerably and the primary producer is now making up for the few lean years he has just passed through by the help of Government assistance in subsidies on certain products, and a reduction of interest rates on certain areas. The present Government recognizes as its premier responsibility the re-establish-ment of the farming industry, and very large sums are being allocated for relief measures which approximate over . £20,000,000, the Government being the principal mortgagee through its Agricultural or Land Bank. In South Africa the primary consideration in the purchase of land is the question of transport. The finest grain crops are worthless, except on the spot, as stock feed, if it becomes necessary to carry them any distance. I spent five days on a farm 65 miles from Johannesburg which was purely a cattle farm where the owners con.centrated on fattening cattle for the mine compounds to supply meat to the many thousands of natives employed on the Rand. It was the middle of June when I visited this locality and I was informed that it was the coldest 'snap experienced for 35 years. Being approximately about 5000 feet above sea-level the cold was intense. Al.though a Southland farmer (and we are reputed to be hardy) I had never felt so cold before. The days were bright and sunny, but with the sinking of 3 the sun, the Kaffirs made for their fires while a bitter frost penetrated the veldt. Three or four times a day, hundreds of stock lined up in the cattle ' yards for their ration of mealy com, teft grass and other fddder. These frosts usually occur in this area for about six weeks, although on the lower veldt few frosts occur.

HUGE IRRIGATION SCHEMES Of the Union’s European population 42 per cent, is rural and of the total area of 321,000,000 acres, approximately 68 per cent, is-occupied as farm land, of which 12,000,000 is under cultivation. It is my opinion that with the right type of farming and agricultural legislation, South Africa will, in the near future, be a close competitor with New Zealand on the Home market. The Union is now concentrating on fat lamb production, and with the Government’s projected huge irrigation schemes carrying water to dry areas, this country may yet be a competitor in our lamb trade also. One thing that impressed me in the Union in connection with farming was the absence of mercantile firms, practically all farmers being financed by an agricultural bank. , Farming is carried on in both Southern and Northern Rhodesia, being mostly cattle ranches, where on some places herds of 3000 head of cattle are carried. The majority are from 2000 to 10,000 acres in extent. In the Transvaal province there are sheep and cattle farms of smaller areas. South Africa is the second largest producer of Merino wool in the world. The total number of sheep is approximately 35,000,000. Shearing usually takes place in November and December. Native shearers are employed, turning out daily 40 sheep a man There are not many places where shearing machines are used, farmers finding it more profitable to use native labour. An average of 111 b of wool a sheep is considered an excellent return. The weight a bale is usually from 300 to- 3751 b, and the average yearly yield of wool for South Africa is 214,— 000,000 pounds. MENACE OF WILD ANIMALS On one farm I saw five miles of jackal-proof fencing. This is a very heavy guage of netting being curved at the top to prevent jackals jumping over. The usual height is about five to six feet. In many parts, too, baboons are a menace, sometimes coming down on to the crops of mealies and doing considerable damage. Owing to the prevalance of horse sickness, bullock teams are used and it is quite a common sight to see three teams of 16 oxen ploughing and cultivating one paddock. Incidentally I may mention that the paddocks are called camps and comprise in most cases 200 or 300 acres. Areas are quoted in morgans, one morgan being approximately 2J acres or, to be more exact, 2.1165 acres. An interesting feature is the fact that South Africa is a country where one very seldom sees a sheep-dog and my friends were greatly interested to know just how dogs could muster sheep. Farmers usually have a herd boy keeping on eye on the flock as they graze from one part to another. Later, I travelled through the Cape province, where the seasons differ considerably from those of the Northern provinces, heavy rains being experienced during the winter, which make the province extremely fertile. By train I travelled through what is known as the Great Karoo. This is an area of 100,000 square miles, where three-quarters of the Union’s sheep roam. On this great vast plain during the dry summer months the sheep thrive on a small bush called the karoo bush—a small stunted bush of great nutritive value. In different parts of this huge plain the rainfall varies from two to 10 inches. CHEAP NATIVE LABOUR Although fighting against heavy odds, with varying climatic conditions and stock diseases, the South African farmer has the advantage of an unlimited amount of cheap native labour, low land values and substantial Government assistance for irrigation, and general farm improvements. He is, as

a general rule, a very intelligent and diligent agriculturist, taking a keen interest in both internal and world politics. Their hospitality is unbounded and owing to the cheap labour available, they have more time to entertain visitors.

I found them to be a farming community eager to learn from the other Dominions’ experiments. There are six agricultural colleges in the Union, the largest being situated at Cedara, about eight miles from Pietermaritzburg in the Natal province, and I was fortunate enough to be shown over this college and State farm as the guest of Dr Fisher, principal of the college. Here farmers’ sons take various courses during the winter months on general stock improvement, control of grazing, soil erosion, irrigation and laboratory testing of stock and grain diseases. This college is considered one of the most up to date in the Southern Hemisphere. Short instruction periods for girls and women are also given. The influence of the old Dutch religious training still seems to dominate the present generation making them a fine type of settler and the quaint old Dutch Reform Churches are seen dotted all over the countryside. The Dutch women take a keen interest in the work of their farms, many, in fact, being quite authorities on farm problems.