A gentleman who has farmed for three years in the
Transvaal gives me the following notes. The Transvaal
is undoubtedly an excellent country for farming, as has
already been shown by the returns of a few men of energy
and enterprise ; and the demand for produce will be great,
268
THE TRANSVAAL
App.
.as more mines come to be opened and worked, and so we
hope the demand will continue to increase. Of course
there are drawbacks in the Transvaal as everywhere else,
locusts, diseases, etc. ; and then a very great drawback is
:the dearness of labour, owing to the high wages paid to
’natives by the miners, drawing them away from the farmers ;
ubut by using labour-saving machines, this trouble may be
.overcome to a great extent.
The best months for putting in garden seeds for spring
i planting are June and July; cauliflowers and cabbages in
tthe end of December for winter crops.
Potatoes can be planted continuously between ist July
r.and 15th January.
Mangolds and lucerne for feeding stock both grow well.
; Plant the former in November for winter feeding when the
.grass is dried up. Lucerne, owing to the frost, dies off
^ (above the ground) in May, but sprouts out again in
"September when the warm weather begins.
Great possibilities exist for every kind of farming, the
ssort best suited to be decided by locality and altitude.
'Market gardening would pay best in the neighbourhood
cof Johannesburg.
Peaches and apricots answer particularly well ; in fact,
eevery kind of fruit does. But, unfortunately, ripening in
tthe summer when all the rains fall, fruit does not keep
' well, and is often destroyed by hail. Oranges and
inaartjes grow most luxuriously.
Deciduous trees are cut down by frost, so must only
ibe planted in the low country. Roses grow and bloom
i beautifully, and so do most of our English flowers. Prune
: roses from the end of May to the end of June.
Rainy Season. — December, January, and February are the
269
App.
THE TRANSVAAL AND NATAL
rainy months, and a downpour of rain is followed almost
immediately by brilliant sunshine.
Dress. — Every lady’s wardrobe should be stocked with
light woollen materials as well as muslins for summer wear ;
light flannels for undearwear, as well as heavier for winter.
Also a showerproof cloak !
In June, July, and August the nights are cold and frosty,
with bright sunshiny days, and often furs can be worn with
comfort.
In September, October, and November rain falls
occasionally.
The country about Pretoria, lying in a hollow and
nearly encircled by hills, has a more tropical climate, and
the thinnest of muslins are often worn in midwinter.
Roses and violets do very well, and, in fact, every kind
of shrub and flower can be raised with a little care and
protection from frost, and every garden grows its own fruit
and vegetables.
NATAL.
In the upper or high lands of Natal all European cereals
can be well grown. On the lower and coast lands sugar-
cane, coffee, tea, pineapples, bananas, and all sorts of sub-
tropical fruits flourish.
The seasons are much the same as in the eastern parts
of Cape Colony, but the climate, as will be seen from the
fruits grown, is much hotter, at all events near the coast.
Rain usually comes in August and September ; mealies
and such crops are then put in. August, September, and
October are spring months, when nice showers fall. From
Page 105
Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A gentleman who has farmed for three years in the Transvaal gives me the following notes. The Transvaal is undoubtedly an excellent country for farming, as has already been shown by the returns of a few men of energy
and enterprise ; and the demand for produce will be great,
THE TRANSVAAL
App.
.as more mines come to be opened and worked, and so we hope the demand will continue to increase. Of course there are drawbacks in the Transvaal as everywhere else, locusts, diseases, etc. ; and then a very great drawback is :the dearness of labour, owing to the high wages paid to ’natives by the miners, drawing them away from the farmers ; but by using labour-saving machines, this trouble may be .overcome to a great extent.
The best months for putting in garden seeds for spring planting are June and July; cauliflowers and cabbages in the end of December for winter crops.
Potatoes can be planted continuously between ist July and 15th January.
Mangolds and lucerne for feeding stock both grow well.
Plant the former in November for winter feeding when the .grass is dried up. Lucerne, owing to the frost, dies off (above the ground) in May, but sprouts out again in "September when the warm weather begins.
Great possibilities exist for every kind of farming, the sort best suited to be decided by locality and altitude. Market gardening would pay best in the neighbourhood of Johannesburg.
Peaches and apricots answer particularly well ; in fact, every kind of fruit does. But, unfortunately, ripening in the summer when all the rains fall, fruit does not keep ' well, and is often destroyed by hail. Oranges and naartjes grow most luxuriously.
Deciduous trees are cut down by frost, so must only be planted in the low country. Roses grow and bloom beautifully, and so do most of our English flowers. Prune : roses from the end of May to the end of June.
Rainy Season. — December, January, and February are the
App.
THE TRANSVAAL AND NATAL
rainy months, and a downpour of rain is followed almost immediately by brilliant sunshine.
Dress. — Every lady’s wardrobe should be stocked with light woollen materials as well as muslins for summer wear ; light flannels for undearwear, as well as heavier for winter. Also a showerproof cloak !
In June, July, and August the nights are cold and frosty, with bright sunshiny days, and often furs can be worn with comfort.
In September, October, and November rain falls occasionally.
The country about Pretoria, lying in a hollow and nearly encircled by hills, has a more tropical climate, and the thinnest of muslins are often worn in midwinter.
Roses and violets do very well, and, in fact, every kind of shrub and flower can be raised with a little care and protection from frost, and every garden grows its own fruit and vegetables.
NATAL.
In the upper or high lands of Natal all European cereals can be well grown. On the lower and coast lands sugarcane, coffee, tea, pineapples, bananas, and all sorts of subtropical fruits flourish.
The seasons are much the same as in the eastern parts of Cape Colony, but the climate, as will be seen from the fruits grown, is much hotter, at all events near the coast. Rain usually comes in August and September ; mealies and such crops are then put in. August, September, and October are spring months, when nice showers fall. From