Notes. 397 



Spain. The impoitaiict' of the American market is also brought out 

 in a few striking figures, showing an increase in the value of our 

 produce exported to the United States of from £540,826 in 1912 to 

 £7,880,379 in 1919. The report forms a welcome addition to the exist- 

 ing information on the country's export trade, and from the wealth 

 of its contents we wish to select and emphasize Mr. Canham's state- 

 ment that '' tlie United Kingdom is the greatest importing country in 

 the world and that the standard of quality in the greater projxjrtion 

 of the goods received is of the highest. . . . While London is one of 

 the best markets for good stuff, it is the worst possible for anything 

 of an inferior quality. Exports from the Union have consequently 

 to stand comparison with the best from almost every country in the 

 world. A high standard of quality should, therefore, be ainjed at 

 by Union exporters, and anything which is calculated to lower the 

 reputation of the Union should, as far as possible, be eliminated. . . . 

 If the Union is to establish a reputation for good quality on the 

 world's markets, a much greater degree of discrimination must be 

 shown by exporters in the class of goods sent oversea. An equal 

 amount of care is necessary in the matter of packing and ' get up.' " 

 Mr. Canham refers to the unqualified success which has attended 

 the Government system of inspection and grading of maize, fruit, and 

 eggs, showing that our products can hold their own in competition 

 with those of any country when the necessary attention to quality and 

 packing is given to them, and affording a happy augury as to the 

 success which should attend the marketing of other of our products, 

 if the requirements of the oversea trade are sedulously kept in view. 



The Inter-School Stock Judging Competition of 1921. 



The second annual inter-school stock judging competition for 

 teams of students from the schools of agriculture, was held this year 

 on the 17th and 18th March, 1921, at Bloemfontein, the Central 

 Agricultural Society kindly providing all facilities for the conduct of 

 the competition. 



It was again a success, and proved to be of great value in 

 stimulating interest amongst the students in this important branch 

 of their work, in broadening their education by contact with critical 

 authorities on the various breeds, and in furnishing a reward for 

 deserving students. 



Teams were sent in by Elsenburg, Glen, Potchefstroom, and 

 Grootfontein, each consisting of five students taking the diploma 

 course. Five classes of stock were selected for the competition, and 

 the team of each school judged three of them. Three students from 

 each team judged fiich class of live stock selected by the school they 

 lepresented. 



Each class of animals judged consisted of four animals of a 

 specified sex, to be placed in order of merit, and a single animal of 

 the opposite sex provided to enable the judges to ascertain the extent 

 of the students' knowledge of the characteristics of true represen- 

 tatives of both sexes of the breed. 



The classes of stock judged were : Fri'^sland bulls, Hereford 

 females, Clydesdale mares, Wanganella rair, large black sows. 



