SOUTH AFRICAN SHEEP FARMS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 26 November 1927, Page 12

SOUTH AFRICAN SHEEP FARMS

A New Zealander’s Impressions

Land of Great Possibilities

By

“Sundowner"

(Written for the Tribune. All Rights Reserved.)

TA IST ANT FIELDS have always had the reputation of looking greener than those close at hand, and it is possible this lure that distant places undoubtedly have for the average Britisher is what has made him the finest coloniser in the world. Africa, “The Dark Continent,” has always 'exerted more than its share of this fascination and though we in New Zealand are probably more than satisfied with the conditions and prospects which we enjoy in “God’s Own Country,” it may be of interest to readers to learn something of the great, and only partially used, tracts of Southern Africa, from a New Zealander who has recently returned from a sojourn in that land.

MR. MAITLAND’S IMPRESSIONS.

Mr. W. H. Maitland, wellknown in Hawke’s Bay, where he was for many years secretary of Messrs. Borthwick and Sons’ freezing works, in writing of a I trip which he took north through Natal and Basuto Land, says; “We passed through some lovely country, especially in Natal. At times we were at sea level, and at other times up about 6000 feet, so you can imagine we had some gorgeous views. We went through some of what is considered good sheep country, but oh! how different from New Zealand sheep land. The sheep 1 saw in the Karoo looked better than any others, and they had nothing to eat but Karoo bush.- In other parts where there were lovely grass lands the sheep did not look so well. I asked the value of this grass country and was told £2 to £4 per acre. It looked to me anything up to £5O per acre country on New Zealand values. 1 made further enquiries and found that I was seeing this land at its very best and that in winter there was no feed at all. The farmers have to grow feed in the shape of oats, barley, millet, etc. ,to keep the stock alive through the winter. FEW BRITISH SHEEP. Beyond one small flock of Romney and another of Suffolk, I have seen no other sheep here but Menno and Persians. These Persian sheep have no wool as we know it, and are used only for meat. They appear to live on sand and fresh air, and have la'rge lumps of fat on their rear anatomy. “On this trip we travelled two days and spent one night in Basutoland. This country appealed to me very much and I should like, sometime, to put in a holiday there. There are no Jews and no Dutch in Basutoland. The natives, men, women and children, wear very bright coloured blankets and are very picturesque. The chief occupation of the men appears to be riding about on Basuto ponies while the women do the work. The Basutos run their own country under British protectio -. Every bit 'of fertile land—and there is a lot of it—is cultivated —mostly mealies—while in the higher parts they run sheep.” SHEEP’S GROWING POPU- , LARITY. Census returns show that the number of sheep in the Union has risen from 11,820,635 in 1904 to 32,003,000 10^1924 —an increase of over 200 per cent., but despite the great strides which have been made there is still enormous scope for development. There are large area* of

country, such as Buchuanaland and the Western Transvaal which have been described by experts as excellent sheep country, but which, on account of their unimproved condition, are not yet carrying sheep, and there are many districts in which to-day only the non-wool-led Persian sheep are farmed, which will sooner or later be turned over to the Merino. IMPROVING GRAZING CONDITIONS. “The greatest progress, however, is being made by improving the conditions under which flocks are being farmed, and bj' better management. Fencing, the development of water supplies, and the provision of food against periods of drought are increasing the numbers which can be run on the farms, and, simultaneously, improved methods and more careful selection are resulting in a better quality of wool and an increased clip. “In the past decade it is estimated that South African wool has improved 40 per cent, in value .apart from market fluctuations, and that an average of 21b. per head has been added to the wool clip. LOCALITIES COMPARED. “Sheep are farmed throughout the greater part of the Union, lhe best Merino country, according to the recently published ‘Settler’s Guide,’ lies at an altitude of from 2000 to 7000 feet, and has a rainfall of 15 inches to 20 inches. Although the Merino is found outside these limits, as the desired, con ditions are non-existent, there is a district tendency to rely more on non-woolled breeds in the drier districts and on mutton sheep where the rainfall exceeds these figures. THE KARVO. . “In the Cape Province, the Karvo, though subject to occasional droughts, is the most healthy sheep country in South Africa. The midlands and northeastern districts carry largeflocks, whilst districts such as Sweltendani. and Riversdale in the south-west, produce a fine quality of wool. “Sheep are an important factor in the farming of each division of the Orange Free State, in the eastern portion of the high veldt of the Transvaal, and the north-eastern area of Natal. TENDENCY TO SMALL FLOCKS. 'Tlocks range from 500 to 4000 sheep, though there are individual farms carrying up io 15,000 head, the tendency is towards smaller flocks of better quality. Compared with other grazing countries in the making, the sheep farms in South Africa are small. In the Free State, Iransvaal and Natal they vary from 1000 acres to 6000 acres, and in the Karvo from 4000 to 20,000 acres. CARRYING CAPACITY. “The carrying capacity in the former areas would be from three sheep to two acres to two sheep to the acre during the summer months, and in winter it is necessary to trek to the warmer bush-veldt or to provide artificial feed. The latter method is to be preferred, and is now being more generally adopted. In the Karvo the land will carry from one sheep to two acres to one sheep to eight acres all the year round, except in periods of extreme drought.”