Page:The empire and the century.djvu/607

 feature in the life of many old white residents. To allow natives to farm land once in white occupation and under modern tillage is distinctly to put the clock back. But for the new colonist this problem is not pressing. The absolutely best pasturage—that of the midlands—is fully occupied by the wool and mohair farmers of Dutch extraction, for the most part prosperous and successful men. Skilled sheep-farmers, accustomed to preparing wool for the market, might find an opening on the Karoo, and in time pull up the South African wool trade by grading and classifying their produce so that it reaches the London market in equally good condition with the Australian article. Australian wool is no better than African, but it arrives in London properly sorted, and thus commands ready sale at reasonable prices.

Apart from the price of land, the want of water is a very serious drawback to the Karoo settler—the more so that here, in common with most of the Cape Colony, large farms are essential even for small flocks, because the absence of water necessitates the provision of far more pasturage than would be required were it possible to irrigate the thirsty soil.

In the western districts, where arable land may still be had for cereal cultivation, settlement on any considerable scale is out of the question owing to the price asked for land. By reason of inferior farming methods the soil is partially exhausted, and therefore of far less value than virgin soil in Rhodesia and the fertile valleys of Natal, to mention but two alternatives; but the price is considerably higher, and has increased synchronously with the fall in actual value.

In certain parts of Cape Colony land may be obtained for fruit farming which ought to yield a profitable harvest for the capital expended in purchase. It must, however, be clearly premised that at the rates demanded only fruit cultivation, for which the soil is admirably suited, will pay. The uncertain returns on stock and cereal farming, the droughts and animal pests, make