African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 57: Chapter 53 Potato Cultivation

December 16, 1866.

Karatu, capital of the Northern Highland District.

To the northwest of Karatu lies the renowned Serengeti grasslands, truly an animal kingdom.

Currently, each region of the East African colony, apart from the thorough cleansing of the Upper Marine District, is essentially ruled by beasts.

Even the indigenous people, who are relatively more numerous compared to immigrants, appear insignificant and negligible in the face of East Africa’s enormous animal populations.

These abundant animal resources allow the indigenous people to lead prosperous lives simply by hunting.

After hunting each day, they sing and dance, then sleep when it gets dark, without any other worries since there are always animals to hunt, ensuring no concern for tomorrow’s food supply.

But immigrants, who came to Africa for farming, cannot naturally depend on hunting like these indigenous people.

Their mindset is steeped in centuries of agrarian culture, emphasizing hard work for riches, and they cannot yet comprehend the indigenous people’s focus on the present without planning for the future.

Indeed, people’s perspectives are shaped by social conditions, for instance, even though the indigenous haven’t developed nations, Africa’s environment allows them to thrive under the most primitive tribal systems, yet struggle when transitioning to relatively advanced societal systems.

After all, humans who left East Africa millions of years ago faced survival challenges, prompting them to learn farming and animal husbandry.

For example, in Egypt, a vast desert area, survival would be impossible without cultivating the land near the Nile River, leading humans who left Africa down the path of ”endless competition.”

Millions of years later, Europeans returned and outcompeted these African tribes to extinction.

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In the East African colonies, immigrants must first clear the local beasts and threatening indigenous tribes upon arriving at a new location.

To prevent unexpected incidents, immigrants work and act collectively to avoid any loose threats attacking them.

Around Karatu, vegetation is abundant, but during the dry season, it mostly turns yellow, with thick layers of yellow vines and weeds covering the land.

The new immigrants first burn the yellowed vegetation, leaving a thin layer of ash on the land after the blaze.

Then they use shovels and hoes to clear the plant roots buried in the soil, unveiling light red soil.

Thus, the immigrant residential areas and tilled lands in Karatu are strikingly red, contrasting with the surrounding yellowed vegetation under the intense sunlight, creating a somewhat oppressive atmosphere.

Karatu experiences less rainfall, as it is affected by its inland and highland geography, making it difficult for moisture from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans to penetrate here.

There are two large lakes in Karatu, one on each side, with Lake Eyasi to the west, a seasonal shallow saline lake, and Lake Manyara to the east, also a saline lake.

Both are lakes formed in the East African Rift Valley, where one can see flocks of flamingos and other waterbirds.

To the north of Karatu is the Rogolongo mountain area. Rogolongo is a highland volcano, and Karatu is situated on the southern edge of this region.

Ngorongoro is a very unique area, encompassing grasslands, forests, hills, lakes, swamps, and various ecological landscapes, supporting countless species of wildlife, forming an independent ecological chain.

The name Rogolongo means ”Great Hole” in the local indigenous language.

Lake Manyara is the gateway to the Ngorongoro Crater Natural Reserve, once described by Hemingway as ”the loveliest place in Africa.”

The famous Maasai live near the volcanic craters in Ngorongoro, leading a nomadic lifestyle.

During the dry seasons, the crater lakes become watering holes for the animals residing there in large groups.

As newly established district capital of the East African colony, Karatu is certainly not outstanding, with less future development potential compared to other district capitals.

The reason for its designation as the capital of the Northern Highland District is mainly due to its geographical location, being at the center of the Northern Highland District.

In Africa, places like Mwanza and Kigoma have superior natural conditions, while Dodoma boasts outstanding transportation advantages, and the eastern First Town is the colony’s earliest established place,

Only Karatu and Ron Roda in the Lower Marine District became administrative centers simply because Ernst whimsically drew circles on the map.

In the East African colony, all cities essentially started on the same footing, all from scratch, so the future development of Karatu and Ron Roda will depend on whether the two capitals can capitalize on their initial advantages.

Karatu receives limited rainfall, so for crops, it does not choose rice or wheat, but opts for potatoes.

Potatoes are a typical lazy crop, like sisal, requiring minimal tending.

Potatoes prefer cool climates and are sensitive to heat, while the high altitude of Karatu offers temperatures between ten to twenty degrees Celsius.

The highland area provides ideal light conditions for crop growth, with a thin atmosphere, shallow clouds, and intense sunlight.

The soil is slightly acidic, and with the addition of ash before tilling, it becomes mildly acidic.

Karatu’s soil is also quite loose and non-sticky, facilitating the later expansion of potato tubers.

The water needed for potato growth is not a concern, as the rivers provide enough despite the low rainfall.

Immigrants use tools to turn the soil, then form ridges, dividing sprouted potato tubers into groups of two buds each, spaced twenty to thirty centimeters apart, inserting them into the turned soil with buds facing upward, and applying fertilizer to complete the initial planting.

For economic crops, Karatu continues to choose sisal.

The relatively rich forest resources in the Rogolongo mountain area offer convenience for Karatu’s construction.

Wooden structures are commonly used for building houses, and it is easy to fabricate production tools like waterwheels and windmill mills.

Currently, Karatu’s immigrants are active only in the southeastern part of the Rogolongo mountain range, not venturing into its interior.

So, the northwest direction of the entire Northern Highland District mainly comprises the Serengeti grassland area, with no East African colonial influence.

Instead, to the west lies the Great Lakes Region, whose immigrant population is second only to the Upper Marine District, and there is no natural barrier between this region and the Serengeti grassland.

Therefore, the Serengeti grassland has been allocated to the Great Lakes Region, but the animals of the Serengeti grassland are truly an animal paradise.

In previous documentaries, the sight of thousands of wildebeest crossing the river is a scene from the Serengeti grassland, where the Marah River flows—a river between Kenya and Tanzania, where wildebeest and other animals migrate annually between the Maasai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti in Tanzania.

Such a vast stretch of land was never effectively developed by Tanzania in the past but was instead maintained as a national park. The East African colony will not rashly attempt to develop the Serengeti.

Solving the issue of such numerous wild animals is indeed challenging, especially as the early East African colony inevitably experienced rampant development, affecting wildlife in other areas.

It’s better to reserve the Serengeti grassland to provide a sanctuary for East Africa’s wildlife, as the colonized land of East Africa currently lacks no land, and expansion towards the north and west is still possible.

Thus, although the Serengeti is not small, its impact on the East African colony is quite limited.