Briefwisseling oor Kaapse sake 1778-1792

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XXXV. H. Cloete to Swellengrebel,
Constantia, 15.3.1787

A. Answers to questions asked by Swellengrebel.

1st question: How many fold is the yield of different sorts of grain, according to the quality of the land and the cultivation bestowed on it?

From one muid seed wheat, ten, but also 12, 15 even 20 muids can be harvested, but, depending on the year and also on the soil, only five or six muids might be reaped. The same can be said of rye and barley. Some farm-lands yield more than the figure given for wheat, some less.

2nd question: What is the extent of land on which one muid is sown?

A field 245 feet broad and 1 200 feet long is enough for one muid wheat, for rye a larger area, and for barley rather less.

3rd question:

How is seed-wheat treated before it is sown? On some farms the farmer changes his seed-corn every year or two, because of smut or rust. Sometimes other seed-corn is used because corn of a better colour grows else where. It is whitest in the south of the Swartland, near Saldanha Bay. The second best is found in the Land van Waveren.

4th question: How often is a field ploughed and harrowed?

If a field has been lying fallow for one or two years, then it is ploughed a year before sowing and well harrowed. Before the wheat is sown it is again ploughed and sometimes manured. Then it can be used two years in succession.

5th question: Is a field used continuously or does it lie fallow for short periods?

Depending on the quality of the soil and its extent, after it has been sown two years in succession, the farmer usually allows the soil to lie fallow for two or three years.

6th question: Are different kinds of grain used in rotation?

Sometimes after having sown barley for one or two years, wheat is planted the third year, provided the land has been manured during the previous years. For barley more manure is needed. That is why a field that is too poor to yield a good harvest of barley, may still be used for wheat.

7th question: Do farmers ever weed or clean their corn lands?

If they want a good harvest two or three weedings are necessary. Some weeds are more troublesome than others. (Names 8 kinds)

8th question: How does the farmer tend his crop during growth?

He protects his crops against domestic and wild animals, and, in case of drought, irrigates the soil if possible, but I do not know of a single large farm where this possibility exists.

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9th question: How often are clay or sandy, heavy or light soils manured?

In a field that has been manured wheat may be sown two years in succession. Good alluvial soil, lightly manured or even without manure, will grow a good crop of wheat for a couple of years, and some heavy alluvial lands still longer; but such lands are few.

10th question: How much manure is employed?

A field 245 feet broad and 1 200 long is usually given from 20 to 25 wagon-loads of manure.

11th question: What kind of manure is used? In a pure state or mixed with straw?

Separate kinds of manure for different grains, or are all sorts of manure collected together?

On large farms straw is brought to the kraals where the cattle rest during the night. The manure is then mixed with the straw, but it is better pure. It is worked over once or twice till it begins to rot. Horse-manure is used for barley. It gets hotter than the mixed cattle manure.

12th question: Is it true that when corn is ripening or the ears are ripe, a particular gusty wind can often lead to a total failure, so that one is often disappointed of expectations of a good harvest?

It is true that when the wheat develops ears, but no rains fall and the wind is warm, the top ears dry out. Then there are fewer grains left in the ear and when they are fully ripe and strong winds blow, then whole and half ears are blown out, which often happens.

13th question: Does this happen only in some districts, particularly in the ‘Overbergse’ districts across the mountains?

The wind is worse in some districts than in others.

14th question: Are bad harvests common?

Bad harvests occur often as a result of caterpillars which eat the grains when they are still soft in the ears. Rust does not do a lot of damage except in rye. That is why little rye is sown. On the other hand no rust is ever found in barley.

15th question: What does one muid of wheat, barley etc. usually weigh?

One muid of wheat weighs 180 to 190 lb. and a muid of barley 140 to 150 lb., after it has been cleaned.

16th question: How much ought a farmer to receive for his grain in order to make a decent living from farming?

The Company pays f8 for one muid of wheat, seven for rye and four for barley. Tithes have to be paid. Thus the farmer for 10 muids is paid for 9 and so receives f72 for wheat, f63 for rye and 36 for barley. One guilder of 16 stivers is the basic currency, but for each delivery 18 stivers are

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deducted and the cashier also, for paying out, takes ½ cent. Private sales vary considerably.

In times of plenty the prices are very low. Wheat has been known to sell for a Rix dollar a muid, and less, rye for next to nothing and barley for 36 stivers. During a shortage the prices have gone up but there has been little to sell, so often the farmer makes no profits at all, particularly when prices are low which often occurs because the Burghers do not have freedom to export. Here nothing is more certain than uncertainty. That is why we had to pay 15 Rds for a muid of wheat and 7 Rds for a muid of barley in 1786.

17th question: How much profit is made on articles imported from Europe either by the Company or by private traders?

The Company makes 50% profit on imported articles with the exception of flagstones from Batavia on which a profit of 150% is frequently made and on goods from Europe which are imported at the profit of 75%. The difference in the value of money at European or Indian valuation brings it to 84%. Material from the Company's ships' stores is sold to foreign ships at 100 to 120 and even 130% above cost prices.

Profit rates on private transactions cannot be calculated.

18th question: How much can a farmer afford to pay for farm implements and still make a profit?

If the Company sold forge-coal at the old price of 13 Rds for a chaldron and iron at 5 Rds for 100 lb., whereas we now have to pay respectively 18 and 8 Rds, we would be able to carry on farming much more energetically, always on condition that there was no shortage, as often is the case today. Since many farmers in the interior, or who do not have their own smithies, must force their ploughs through the hard soil when the spring rains are late, they cannot plough with 6 shares as much land as normally could be ploughed with only one. These shares cost Rds 4 to 4½ each to fix up and re-sharpen after a short time in use; a brand new one costs Rds 7.

A further result of this shortage of coal and iron is that the farmer is unable to work his ploughland and fallow-land in preparation for the next year's sowing; or to break up fresh pasture for arable land as a cornfarmer ought to do. So, for lack of these requisites, he remains only half a corn-farmer. This has been going on for a long time. Especially now when we have a bountiful harvest, through lack of hoop-iron and coals one cannot get waggon wheels tyred, even if one offers double. The season for ploughing is again on hand and we shall have to work the fields by spade or by scratching them with our finger nails! It is the same with much else here.

The Company clearly does not understand its own interests, since it

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cannot or will not encourage farmers. As a result last year it had to buy wheat at Rds 100 per 10 muid. I can enlarge on my answer if you ask me.

I cannot refrain from adding that some people are beginning to sow their land twice, viz. to sow it lightly before ploughing and then lightly again after ploughing. Only as much seed is sown in two sowings as previously in one. The advantage is that, in this way, the growing corn may be spread more evenly over the field, rather than growing in thick clumps and sparse patches.

In conclusion, the costs of corn-farming are heavy. The cost of setting a plough to work, on heavy soil, with good labourers and 10 to 12 oxen, is at least 4 ooogl. This team will only do one ‘schoft’ in a day, during which a bushel of seed can be sown. If more than 3 ploughs are at work a welltrained slave costing Rds 600 to 800 is essential as sower; and a harrow with 3 or 4 horses and 2 slaves.

The enclosures will indicate to you that the waggonmaker Van Eyck asks Rds 120 for making an ox-waggon; and the smith Andreas Rds 140 for the tyres, a total of Rds 260. Owing to poor roads, steep mountain ranges, numerous stones and great distances - for some may spend 3, 4, 5 or even 6 days travelling to Cape Town - not counting the return journey - the wear and tear is so great that in a short while the whole expense must be re-incurred.

The profits of farming cannot be compared with the outlays involved. Although 50 out of every 100 farmers may still be farming into old age, only 3 or 4 of these are prosperous. The rest are old yet poor. At least they die possessed of little.

B. List of divers costs:

A slave needs one woollen over-garment every two years costing Rds 4:2 schelling; 2 pairs of trousers p.a., 1 leather and 1 woollen which cost Rds 1 and 7 schelling; 2 shirts a year costing Rds 1 and 5 schelling. A cattle-herd is given one over-garment a year and one or two pairs of stockings. Herdsmen have to work all week without having the chance to make money for themselves on Sundays, so they are also given small items such as thread, coats, blankets, cooking utensils, hats, caps and tea; 2 lb. of tobacco a month, a tinderbox, flints, knives, etc.

Sometimes slaves are given gardens in which they can grow onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chili etc. These they sell. Mr Cloete slaughters one big ox worth about Rds 6 each week for 60 people or else one fat wether, valued at 6 schellings, every day. His slaves are given bread and butter or bread and herring in the morning, meat in the afternoon and vegetables in the evening. For each slave's monthly bread about 1½ bushel

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wheat is needed and 60 slaves drink about one leaguer wine a month.

In the household the slaves eat and drink unusually well. For a wellbuilt but untrained slave about Rds 150 or 180 is paid. For a slave in the prime of life, with knowledge of agriculture, who can handle an oxwaggon, one pays Rds 330, 400 up to 450. If he knows how to manage a horse-waggon as well he may fetch Rds 500. If he is both young and a good driver he may cost up to Rds 600.

A European artisan of any trade, apart from a tailor who earns only 4 schelling, earns not less than one Rix dollar a day. He also gets coffee, a tot, tea twice a day and never less than a bottle of wine at his work; and two glasses of wine at each meal, three times a day. He eats at the table of his employer and is provided with a good bed.

	Rds.	Sch.
The price of 100 lb. iron is	8
32 full bushels of coal	18
1 ploughshare	5
1 Cape spade	1	4
1 pick-axe with steel edges	1	4

For sharpening a ploughshare from Rds 2 up to 18 schelling, according to the amount of work necessary. If the soil is hard and stoney as is usually the case a ploughshare needs sharpening every two days. If the soil is sandy a ploughshare can last eight days.

One hundred 20 ft. straight lengths of poplar (Populus Sp.), silver tree (Leucadendron argenteum) or keurboom (Virgilia Oroboides) for roofing spars cost Rds 18 to 20, but are hard to find. A length of poplar or silver tree of 20 to 24 feet suitable for roof trusses costs 7, 8 or 9 schelling. The price of silver tree was formerly 4 stivers per foot but, as roofing spars were cheaper then, the trunks were allowed to grow into thick timbers, so that there is now a surplus of the larger diameters and a shortage of spars. The various sorts of oak are cheaper, since they have to lie in water for a year, being subject to infestation by worms. A straight 30 ft. long ridge pole averages 8 to 9 schelling.

The nearest natural forest whence good house-timber is fetched is in Outeniqualand, some 9 hours' distance from Mossel Bay, so that only beams and planks are brought from there.

A yellowwood beam from the Outeniqua forest, 18 ft. long and 5 inches by 7 inches across comes to Rds. 5. One 21 ft. long and 6 inches by 8 inches across ... Rds 6. A plank 1¼ in. thick ... 5 to 6 stivers per square foot.

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A main member for a plough ... 1 ducatoon

A plough handle ... 6 schelling

A plough head ... 4 schelling

2 plough wheels ... Rds 5 or a little less.

A disselboom (centre pole of an ox-waggon), unfinished ... Rds. 1.

a Double ‘ladder tree’ (leerboom) for bracing the sides of an oxwaggon, not made up ... Rds. 2.

(For making up these articles one pays as much as the cost of the timber.)

A waggon axle ... 1 ducatoon.

A foretongue for an ox-waggon (to which the disselboom is bolted) ... 1 ducatoon.

A ‘skamel’ (transom or cross-member) ... Rds. 1.

A swivel plate ... 4 schellings.

a fellow ... 2 schelling.

a spoke ... 1 schelling.

Limestone lime costs 2 guilders (at 16 st. to the guilder) per half-aum.

Shell lime costs the same.