298 JoTRNAL or THE DepahtMent Of AciKirrr/rrRE. — Oct., 1922. 



create the proper " atmosphere " by constantly hriiig-iiig- home to 

 the public; the lu^althful j^roperties of fruit and vegetables. By 

 every possible aiul improved means of advertising' ])ublic opinion is 

 lo be cliang'ed from a passive to an active belief in the enormous 

 advantag'es of a reg'ular fruit and vegetable diet. Having- aroused 

 this interest (and it will be maintained by continued advertisement), 

 the next object of the campaig-n will be to speed up the demand for 

 specific fruits and vegetables in their season. This will be done by 

 pre])aring' in advance a series of advertisements denling' with the 

 various fruits ;ui(l veg-etables which are liable to be suj)plied in 

 excess of demand or which could be supplied in greater quantity if 

 the demand could be increased. At present the trnde is under a 

 great disability through large quantities of produce having to be 

 destroyed because nol)ody will buy in time. A schedule is to be 

 prepared showing the seasons all fruits and vegetables are due to 

 appear upon the market, and the distributing centres to which the 

 various products are usually sent and the best market for them, 

 taking possible demand and the facilities for rapid transport into 

 account. Meanwhile advance advertisements will tell the housewife 

 the special virtues of the particular product, hoA^- best to dress it, 

 serve it, or preserve it; will tell her about the crop, how it promises, 

 what advantages it will mean for her; and then at the ])sychological 

 moment will announce the arrival on the market, urge her to buy 

 or order straightaway, and so work up the interest to the culminating 

 point. 



A campaign such as is proposed would cost little more than 

 £100,000 a year, equal to one-tenth of one per cent, of the trade. 

 Given the proper support, the council is sanguine of early and 

 continued success, and is convinced that all will benefit at once from 

 the increased demand for the produce, which would be sold more 

 rapidly on arrival at market, and that the whole process of speeding- 

 up sales will tend to harden prices. In the light of American 

 successes the council's optimism is warranted. 



The enormous power of advertising has been demonstrated over 

 and over again. It is the most effective and econoujical method of 

 effecting sales. It has been the means of successfully creating- an 

 entirely new public demand. Hundreds of commodities are in 

 universal demand to-day, because they are consistently kept before 

 the public by advertising. There is no reasoji \\hy the conspicuous 

 successes achieved in other countries cannot also follow co-operative 

 advertising and marketing of South African products. What co- 

 operation has done in otluM- countries, and the campaign now being 

 oi'ganized in England, should give food for thought to every farmer 

 in the Union who desires to enjoy without delay the practical benefits 

 that he knows are the result of concerted action. 



The Position of East Coast Fever. 



At the recent conference of the Transvaal Agricultural Fnion, 

 Mr. Boi'thwick, Principal Veterinary Officer, reviewed the position 

 of East Coast fever in the Transvaal as at the end of June last. 

 Tliere were then nine districts in which the disease was present, infec- 

 tion having spread to three new districts (Middelburg, Waterberg, 

 and Carolina) during the yeai-. On the other hand, however, the 



