Notes. 5 



Tractor Demonstration at Elsenburg. 



On 15tli November, 1920, a tractor demonstration was given at 

 Elsenburg by Messrs. Chalmers & Fraser, Ltd., with their 5-ton Holt 

 caterpillar tractor. The trial was begun in the morning on a par- 

 ticularly hard piece of hilly land, which contained a medium amount 

 of young bush, when the work of the tractor was considered fairly 

 satisfactory, taking into consideration the nature of the soil. In 

 the afternoon a further test was made on an equally hard piece of 

 level vlei land, the result being clearly evident more satisfactory than 

 that of the morning. In both cases the tractor drew a 4-furrow 

 mouldboard plough, working to a depth of from 6-8 inches, though 

 •on the hilly land this depth was often not maintained. 



The type of plough used was not suited to the tractor, nor to the 

 severe conditions of the soil to be ploughed. 



The consensus of opinion was that the 4-furrow disc plough would 

 liave done infinitely better work, and would also have required less 

 power. 



The Holt caterpillar tractor has a 12-20 horse-power engine, and 

 appeared to have plenty of reserve power, particularly when in low 

 gear. In both morning' and afternoon trials the land was broken up 

 in rather big lumps owing to the hard nature of the soil. Extra 

 weight was required to keep the plough into the ground, while on 

 the hillside it was noticed that the wheel attached to the rear of the 

 plough occasionally ran on the top of the furrow, and so caused the 

 shears to be lifted slightly from the ground. 



Crop-yields of the Northern Hemisphere in '1820. 



The October Statistical Bulletin of the International Institute of 

 Agriculture announces the results of cereal crops in most of the 

 countries of the northern hemisphere. Data are now to liand from 

 almost every quarter, with the exception of Russia, and the totals 

 resulting from available and comparable data amount to 56.8 million 

 metric tons (2200 lb.) of wheat and 5.6 million of rye. This cjuantity 

 is slightly larger tlian the yield in 1919 (61.7 million), and identical 

 w'ith the average of the preceding five years. 



The comparable data for barley dealing with a number of 

 countries producing just under one-half of the world's yield, make a 

 total of 12.7 million tons, 8 per cent, larger than the production of 

 1919, and 5 per cent, below the five years' average. 



The yield of oats in countries furnishing all the required data 

 (affording about 60 per cent, of the world's yield) is estimated at 

 <58.8 million tons, showing an increase of 21 per cent, over last year, 

 and 9 per cent, over the average. 



The maize crops of south-eastern Europe are reported as good, 

 that of Italy as fair, while the United States yield amounts to 81.7 

 million metric tons, 10 per cent, over last year's, and 16 per cent, 

 above the average. 



Reports on the probable yield of beet sugar are favourable from 

 Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, and 

 Canada, also for both cane and beet sug-ar from the United States. 



The export from British India of 400,000 tons of wheat has been 

 sanctioned and will take place unless internal prices advance beyond 

 the purchase limit officially fixed. The weather in October has not 

 heen favourable for crop developments 



