112 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. — Aug., 1922. 



Short Courses. — The number of applications received for the 

 short courses has been very gratifying. . The sheep and wool and 

 domestic science courses were fully booked up two weeks be tore the 

 commencement of the course. Applications for the cattle and maize 

 and poultry courses are still coming in, and, although these are not 

 yet fully booked, the results so far exceed all expectations. 



Experimental Results. — It is regretted that an error was dis- 

 covered in last month's notes too late for rectification. It was stated 

 that " the fallow plots contained nearly as much moisture as the plots 

 under crop." The paragraph should read as follows: " An experi- 

 ment was carried out at Glen during the past season to determine the 

 relative effect of various methods of treatment of growing crops, viz., 

 cultivation, harrowing, and weeding, moisture tests being taken in 

 conjunction with the records of weight of crop harvested. Owing to 

 the insufficiency of the rainfall — no rain of value having fallen after 

 the middle of January — the plants in the test plots did not properly 

 mature, and the results, therefore, were not as complete as hoped. 

 Two points, however, were outstanding, viz., that the fallow plots 

 contained more moisture than the plots under crop, and that the plots 

 neither weeded nor cultivated in any way after the seed was planted 

 gave about 25 per cent, lower yield than the plots to which attention 

 was given." 



GROOTFONTEIN, MIDDELBURG (CAPE). 



Short Courses. — It has, unfortunately, been necessary to refuse 

 many applicants for the short courses of instruction in sheep and 

 wool that are being held this month, notwithstanding that more 

 students have been accepted than can perhaps conveniently be 

 handled. These courses consist of a five-day general course devoted 

 to classing, judging, and care of sheep, followed by a second devoted 

 entirely to the sorting, packing, and marketing of wool. To meet the 

 demand, it has been arranged that a course similar to this second 

 course will be held in September for the benefit of the members and 

 their employees of the two Wool Growers' Associations recently 

 formed in the Graaff-Reinet and Middelburg (Cape) Districts. 



The success of this movement, which marks an important step 

 in the wool industry of South Africa, largely depends on training the 

 members to sort and pack wool in such a manner as to readily pass 

 inspection, which, in the interests of all, must be maintained at a 

 high standard. 



Bradford Technical College. — Four ex-students of this iastitu- 

 tion are now undergoing training at the Bradford Technical College, 

 and it is hoped at a later stage to obtain the services of some or all 

 of them for the Department of Agriculture. One of these students, 

 Mr. S. Mare, B.Sc, who gained an Honours Diploma in the Special 

 Sheep and Wool Course at Grootfontein last year, and is now under- 

 going a course at Bradford, writes to say that in his opinion the 

 South African student could not do better than attend the Technical 

 College there, as it is the world centre of the textile industry. The 

 college authorities are in close touch with the leading mill owners, 

 and the students have every facility to follow up their training by a 

 close study of actual processes carried out in the mills. 



