salvation of the country. Repeated "booms" and the inevitable losses
have brought the people to agree with the opinion of one of the
pioneers, that "the true wealth of the country lies in the top twelve
inches of the soil." Agriculture is surpassing mining as the principal
industry.

The staple agricultural product is maize, which is corn in the American
phraseology. Until a few years ago the bulk of it was consumed at home.
Recently, however, on account of the farm expansion, there is an
increasing surplus for export to the Union of South Africa, the Belgian
Congo, and even to Europe.

The facts about maize are worth considering. Every year 200,000,000
bags, each weighing 200 pounds, are consumed throughout the world.
Heretofore the principal sources of supply have been the Argentine and
the United States. We have come to the time, however, when we absorb
practically our whole crop. Formerly we exported about 10,000,000 bags.
There is no decrease in corn consumption despite prohibition. Hence
Rhodesia is bound to loom large in the situation. Last year she produced
more than a million bags. Maize is a crop that revels in sunshine and in
Rhodesia the sun shines brilliantly throughout the year practically
without variation. This enables the product to be sun-dried.

Other important crops are tobacco, beans, peanuts (which are invariably
called monkey nuts in that part of the universe), wheat and oranges.
Under irrigation, citrus fruits, oats and barley do well.

Cattle are a bulwark of Rhodesian prosperity. The immense pasturage
areas are reminiscent of Texas and Montana. For a hundred years before
the white settlers came, the Matabeles and the Mashonas raised live
stock. The natives still own about 700,000 head, nearly as many as the
whites. I was interested to find that the British South Africa Company
has imported a number of Texas ranchmen to act as cattle experts and
advise the ranchers generally. This is due to a desire to begin a
competition with the Argentine and the United States in chilled and
frozen meats. One of the greatest British manufactures of beef extracts
owns half a dozen ranches in Rhodesia and it is not unlikely that
American meat men will follow. Mr. J. Ogden Armour is said to be keenly
interested in the country with the view of expanding the resources of
the Chicago packers. This is one result of the World War, which has
caused the producer of food everywhere to bestir himself and insure
future