76 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



The point was duly noted. 



Itevi No. 9. — The appointment of efficient graders for co-opera- 

 tive maize societies. 



The Registrar informed the delegates that the Department had 

 agreed to give effect to the resolution passed by last year's Congress 

 to conduct a yearly course of instruction in the grading of maize tor 

 the storemen of societies. The course would be held at the coast 

 during the months of June, July, and August, when the storemen 

 would have ample opportunity of making themselves familiar with 

 dry as well as damp maize; the instruction would be given free of 

 charge, but travelling and subsistence expenses would have to be 

 borne by the societies concerned. The months suggested would 

 probably be an inopportune time for the societies to do without their 

 storemen, but this was the most suitable time for the course. The 

 delegates were unanimous in the view that during the months of 

 June, July, and August the societies could not possibly release their 

 storemen for this purpose, and it was suggested that the Department 

 should send graders to the societies to give the storemen the required 

 instruction. The Congress accordingly resolved: — 



" That the Department be requested to send efficient graders 

 up-country to instruct the storemen of co-operative societies in the 

 grading of maize, the work to commence during the months of July 

 and August." 



The Acting Under-Secretary assured the delegates that the 

 Department would make every effort to meet the societies in this 

 matter. 



Item No. 10. — Stocktaking at the end of the financial year, and 

 the transfer of mealies to the new pool accounts. 



Mr. Retief touched upon the necessity of taking stock at the 

 end of the financial year, the only time when the stock of maize 

 was sufficiently low to permit of its being counted. It was very neces- 

 sary that this should be done before the maize was transferred to the 

 new "pool" account. Some years ago it was arranged that such 

 stocktaking should take place under supervision of the inspectors of 

 the Department, but owing to the rapid increase in the number of 

 societies this had to be discontinued, with the result that some of the 

 societies were not giving this matter proper attention. 



The point was duly noted. 



Item No. 11. — Discussion of the Report of the Central Agency in 

 connection with the resolutions of the previous Congress 

 regarding — 



{a) Treatment of Wool {Resolution No. 11, 1919) ; 

 (6) Importation of Agricultural Implements (Resolution 

 No. 13, 1919). 



The report submitted by the representative of the Central Agency 

 was to the following effect : — 



(a) Treatment of Wool. — This has received the very serious con- 

 sideration of the Board. As the result of its efforts, the wool of 

 co-operative societies was being handled at Durban since September 

 last under the supervision of the Agency's own expert, with the result 

 that the societies' wool had fetched almost the same price in Europe 

 as Australian wool. Within a short time the Central Agency would 



