Vincent V. M. Beede.
South African Fruits and Facts.
Perhaps your scientific readers can make an astronomical puzzle plain to me. A gentleman with whom I am well acquainted, has often said he could always tell whether we would have rain by the appearance of the new moon. If on her first appearance she was "on her point" we would have rain, if she lay on her back we would have dry weather. I confess I was rather sceptical when I first heard this, but it has been proved to me so often that I am fain to believe it.
During our recent severe drought this gentleman used to look at the new moon every month. "No rain this month." At last, "The moon is on her point! we'll have rain!" and we did have rain. Can you explain this? His predictions concerning the weather have never been known to fail. An old Kafir used to say, "The moon's dam is open; we'll have rain." It was no use explaining to him that there was no water in the moon. The question is, Does the moon really affect the atmosphere? That is to say, "Why is it that in rainy seasons the moon is on her point?" I should be much obliged if some of your clever readers would kindly solve this problem for me.
I like Brenda Neville's suggestion of a temperance club. I am a teetotaler, and would like to correspond with Lady Brenda. One has only to live among the Kafirs to see what an awful power brandy has over men. In one of our newspapers I saw that total abstinence is steadily on the increase in Cape Colony. I am glad of it. I hope the Founders of our splendid Order will take up this idea of a temperance club. Our object—as far as I understand it—is to do as much good as we can in the world, and to make the best and most of our lives.
In the Park at East London (South Africa) grows a rather peculiar plant. It bears a fruit which so exactly resembles a hen's egg that many people have been deceived by it. In fact, one lady took several to an old Dutch woman, and asked her if she would kindly set them under one of her fowls. The simple old woman was delighted, being under the impression that these were a particularly precious setting of eggs. It was not until some time after that the lady explained her practical joke.
The wild coffee grows about the mountains and kopjes here. It is an exceedingly pretty shrub, the leaves being of a bright glossy green, and the flowers of a waxy cream-color. It bears berries which, after a while, turn red. After they are dry, if you open one, you will find two seeds very much resembling bought coffee. One of my uncles had a number of these seeds gathered, burnt, and ground. Then he had it prepared in the ordinary way, and said it tasted very good indeed.
The wild-tobacco-tree grows about here too, but it is not of much use. It is said to be poisonous, but I am told that this is incorrect. We used to make chains out of the flowers years ago.
In the kloofs we have several varieties of the wild geranium. My favorite is the "Ivy." It looks so pretty growing over the rocks or around some old stumps. The aloes grow all up the sides of the mountain. When it is time for them to flower, a tall stalk shoots up from the middle of the aloe which, in course of time, becomes covered with red blossoms. There is another aloe which is extensively used for making fences. I do not know whether it grows wild. When it flowers it sends up a stalk to a very great height, the top of which is crowned with yellow flowers. It has long tapering leaves, the sides of which are covered with thorns. It makes an excellent hedge.
At the agricultural show, which was held on the 26th and 27th February, in Queenstown, I saw a pair of snow-white ferrets. I thought at first they were white mice. Among the rocks we often see dassies sunning themselves. These are said to be the conies of the Bible. The spring hare, or jerboa, is a great nuisance to the farmers. Its front feet are used for making burrows. Its hind legs are four times the length of the front ones, and it is with these that it makes its prodigious leaps. It is said that the jerboa uses its tail as a lever. It comes out at night-time and works great havoc among the farmers' crops. By the time this reaches you autumn will have set in properly. At present there seems no abating of the summer heat. If anything it is worse.
Isma Fincham, R.T.L.
Roydon, Queenstown, Cape Colony,
South Africa, March 2, 1896.
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