. An encyclopædia of agriculture : comprising the theory and practice of the valuation, transfer, laying out, improvement, and management of landed property, and of the cultivation and economy of the animal and vegetable productions of agriculture. cannot be turned to graze like sheep. Poultry is, for the samereason, neglected. Indeed, bad mutton may be said to be the only food of the colonists. 1132. The agricultural implements and operations of the Cape farmers are said to beperformed in the rudest manner, and their crops are thought to depend principally onthe goodness of the soil and clima
. An encyclopædia of agriculture : comprising the theory and practice of the valuation, transfer, laying out, improvement, and management of landed property, and of the cultivation and economy of the animal and vegetable productions of agriculture. cannot be turned to graze like sheep. Poultry is, for the samereason, neglected. Indeed, bad mutton may be said to be the only food of the colonists. 1132. The agricultural implements and operations of the Cape farmers are said to beperformed in the rudest manner, and their crops are thought to depend principally onthe goodness of the soil and climate. The plough of the Dutch farmers is a coupleof heavy boards nailed together, and armed with a clumsy share, which it requires adozen oxen to work. Their harrow, if they use any at all, is composed of a few waggons (which will carry about thirty Winchester bushels, or a ton-weight, andare generally drawn by sixteen and sometimes twenty oxen) are well constructed to gotilting up and down the precipitous passes of the kloofs with safety ; but they have novariety for the different roads. Burchell has given a portrait of one of these imposingmachines. {Jig. 149.) Their method of beating out the corn is well known ; the sheaves. are spread on a circular floor, surrounded by a low wall, with which every farm issupplied. The farmers whole stock of !>rood mares and colts are then turned in, anda black man, standing in the centre, with a long whip to enforce his authority, thewhole herd are compelled to frisk and canter round till the corn is trampled out of Book I. AGRICULTURE IN AFRICA. 181 the ear. This is termed tramping out. The winnowing is performed by tossing thetrampled grain and dung in the air with shovels, or by exposing it to the wind in asieve. *1133. The agriculture of the Cape appears capable of much improvement, were thefarmers less indolent, and more ambitious of enjoying the comforts and luxuries of exist-ence. Barrow is of opinion that there migh
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1871
