File:Southern Rhodesia (1909) (14598195608).jpg

Identifier: southernrhodesi00hone (find matches)
Title: Southern Rhodesia
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Hone, Percy F
Subjects:
Publisher: London, Bell
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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te diseases than the pure shorthorns and colonials. Now that the African coast fever has been stamped out there will undoubtedly be an effort made to improve the breeds in the country with a view to providing the best butchers meat, and there is no room to doubt that in years to come Southern Rhodesia will be one of the greatest sources of supply to the European market. Foreseeing this, all the shrewdest business men are now buying up cattle for the purpose of ranching on a large scale. Native sheep and goats thrive everywhere, and are very prolific, but the English wooled sheep do well only in certain districts where the grass is of a fine quality. This fine quality is obtained on the high tablelands on the eastern border of Mashona-land, which is therefore admirably adapted to the raising of merino sheep. Here, also, there is an abundance of water, and the lofty mountain ranges, attaining to an altitude of 6,000 feet, are clothed with short rich grasses which remain green during the greater part
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LIVESTOCK 209 of the year. But the rich rank grass which abounds in other districts is not suitable for English breeds, and must be fed down by cattle before the land can become food pasturage for sheep. English rams have been crossed with native sheep with considerable success, producing a hardy quick-maturing mutton of good quality. Persian and Cape sheep also thrive in districts where merinos, under present conditions, cannot live, and these also make excellent crosses with native breeds. All these varieties will be useful for gradually reducing the rank pasturage to a condition suitable for the better class of wooled sheep. Donkeys thrive in Southern Rhodesia, and to a great extent superseded cattle for transport work during rinderpest and African coast fever. They are still largely used for wagon work and ploughing, but most of the settlers are prejudiced against them owing to their extreme slowness. They are, however, very hardy and prolific, and make a profit-able investment. Mules were intro

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