408 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



POTCHEFSTROOM, TRANSVAAL. 



The month was a noteworthy one in that tlie total rainfall up to 

 midnig-ht of the 81st March amounted to 10.88 indies, wliicli is ihe 

 record for March at tliis station. 



The weather has been most unfavourable for hay-making". The 

 growth of weeds has been amazing, and crops such as mangels and 

 potatoes have demanded considerable hand-hoeing, thereby greatly 

 increasing the cost of growing these crops. Tlie mangel crop is an 

 expensive one to grow at the best of times, and it is thought that if the 

 labour, fertilizers, and irrigation water which it lequires were jnit 

 into a maize crop, grown for silage purposes, the farmer would pro- 

 dvice his succulent winter feed a good deal more economieallv. \\'itli 

 this object in view, it is proposed to reduce the area under mangels, 

 and instead to utilize the manure, irrigation water, and libonr ii\ 

 growing at least one heavy crop of maize silage. 



Whea extreme moisture conditions prevail, as in this month, and 

 enough fodder is not available to more than fill a pit silo, silage 

 material might with advantage be stacked. In making stack silos 

 with maize as the crop, layers of fine material, such as blackjacks, 

 veld-grass, etc., should be placed along the outer edges of each layer 

 of maize laid down, in order to prevent air from penetrating too far 

 into the stack. After covering the stack with straw, grass, etc., the 

 whole should be weighed dow^n by means of wires to which weights 

 are attached. 



The late season has demonstrated the disadvantage of following 

 with roots on a land which carried teff the previous year. 

 "Volunteer" teff plants in a mangel or potato crop have proved 

 most difficult to eradicate. 



A paddock, consisting of about 24 acres paspalum and a strij) 

 of 4 acres kikuyu, was ploughed up and thereafter cultivated as 

 thoroughly as conditions would allow. These grasses were laid down 

 in April, 1917, and were both becoming unthrifty, the kikuyu 

 especially appearing sod-bound. It is considered that the thorough 

 loosening of the ground by ploughing and harrowing will result in 

 more vigorous growth of both these grasses. 



The egg-laying competition, running for forty-eight weeks, from 

 the 1st April, 1920, resulted in the creation of several South African 

 records. A record of 262 full-weight (2-oz.) eggs in the period ol 

 forty-eight weeks was made by a White Leghorn, followed by two 

 other Leghorns with 261 full-weight and 1 underweight eggs, and 

 254 full-weight and 11 underweight eggs, respectively. One Leghorn 

 hen was allowed to complete the full period of twelve months. This 

 hen created a record in laying a total of 301 eggs, of If oz, weight 

 and over, during the period 1st April, 1920, to 31st March, 1921. 



Seed Wheat. 



It is not the intention of the Government to purchase seed wdieat 

 for distribution to farmers this year." 



