File:South Africa and its future (1903) (14779945174).jpg

Identifier: southafricaitsfu00argy (find matches)
Title: South Africa and its future
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Argyll, John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, Duke of, 1845-1914 Creswicke, Louis
Subjects:
Publisher: London : T.C. & E.C. Jack
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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s. In regard to the Breede River Valley, expensive river and canalworks will be needed to properly irrigate the district, but these willrepay the expenditure. In the Touws River Valley, in years ofordinary winter rain, good wheat crops can be grown on thealluvium of the river, which crops might be made permanent by theconstruction of fifteen-feet high weirs at suitable sites, and the lead-ing off of small canals from the up-stream sides. In the karoo veldt, in the Prince Albert district, the light rainfall,together with the violent slope of the country, renders numerousirrigation schemes impossible. But the karoo bushes need and areworth development, otherwise they will in time be exterminated.Our authority gives in detail a scheme by which this developmentmay be accomplished, and declares that if the right method of pre-servation were adopted, it would probably be possible to feed threesheep where one can be fed to-day. The Oudtshoorn district is the garden of the Cape Colony. It 124
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The Agricultural Outlook enjoys a splendid climate and water-supply. The speciality of theOudtshoorn Valley is ostrich farming. The birds in thousands feedin the lucerne fields on the banks of the Oliphants River. Crops oftobacco and potatoes, orange groves, vineyards and orchards areeverywhere to be seen. There are still some 70,000 acres of land inthe valley capable of development by irrigation if water could befound for them—and here many schemes are possible. Unirri-gated land in the valley, on which there falls annually from seven toten inches of rain, is worth scarcely £ i an acre ; while the sameland, when irrigated, is worth from ^30 to i^ioo per acre. It isimpossible here to describe the practical remedies and improvementschemes suggested ; the object of quotation is merely to give onauthority, a concise outline of the rich vista that has been extendedbefore us, and the perpetual prosperity that may be secured to theSouth African Continent if the Government should consent

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