502 Journal op the Department of Agriculture. 



POTCHEFSTROOM, TRANSVAAL. 



.]/(ii:c Sil(///c. — All tile ui;ii/,(' ciop.s ])l:iiitt'(l uttcf the 1st .Iniiuaiy 

 ■AW l)('iii<i' tiiiiH'-;! iiild silaj^c willioui dchiN . a> tlic (■yu])> aio niakiiij^- 

 11(1 headway now as a result of the ((UiiiJaral ively cdld iii<''li1s. 



/'<<! Aiiihcr Cd/x .--\i llic caHlf |)ost. IJiakspniit, a cioj) of red 

 aiiibei- cane (sweel soi jiliuni ). sown on llie -'ifllli i^oveiiilx'V and sul)- 

 se(iueiiliy healen down to llie yi-ound mi tlie :!()tli .[aiiuaiy Uy hail, 

 yielded a phenonn-na II \- liea\\\ cioi) of ^iicen fodder, whicdi \\as (nnied 

 into silaii'e. 



Tcff. — Teff has j)iove(l a leunii'kaLle drouolil-re.sistinti' croj) when 

 once estahlivshed. Stands of teff wlii( h wei'e considei'ed so ])()or that 

 operations to replouj^'h the ^lound weic eomnieneed and only dis- 

 continued wlieii the land hecanie loo wet, uavc heautiful and heavy 

 cidjis (d' hay as a result of Ihe AFarch rains. 



\\ lu'iil Items. — AVlnsil "irowcrs in ihe ^estejii and north-western 

 secttions of the Province ai'e advised to jiut their wheat crops in by the 

 lotii June. Heavy yields cannot he e\]ieclcd fidni crops sown after 

 that date. From experience here il would seem si ill hettei- to .sow 

 wheat fiom the middle to the eiul of May, h\it for earl\ \arieties this 

 j)rocedure may lead to losses from late frosts in certain years or, under 

 noimal conditions, heavy losses throuph destruction l>y birds con- 

 se([uent on lh(> croji providiiif^' food to ;4)ain-eat iny- hiids when they 

 have coniparat ively little else 1o a (tract them. A limited amount of 

 wheat seed is still available fen' sale to fai'mers, inidudiufi- the v;\riety 

 American No. (S, wliich is resistant to attack by birds. 



Farmers' associations servinj^ the inter(>sts of wheat ^^rowers aj'e 

 requested to undertake a eam])ai<4ii of destruction of ^■rain-eatin<>' birds 

 during' the montlis of July and Auj^usl. [f funds are collected by 

 each association (about 5s. per giower is suf^'gested) and forwarded to 

 the Princijial of this Institution, manna and other suitable seed will 

 be ])urchased, icndered poisonous and forwarded io the associations 

 for distribut ion. The requirenu'iits of individual men cannot Ix^ dealt 

 with in tills way. 



Mdizc Cunferencc.—X conference of maize o-iow cis was held at 

 this Institution on the fith Ajjiil, in order to allow farmers to \iew 

 the ex])eriment work carried on with maize here. In addition to the 

 demonstrations, a series oi lectures were delivered on subjects con- 

 nected with nuiize ^'i-owing'. About sixty farmers from various parts 

 (d' the Province and the ()ian!^(' I'ree State attended the c(mference. 



( >j)li t/nil 11)1(1 .~'l\\\s has been very pre\alent in all stock here, as 

 well as at Brakspruit. The Ilei'eford breed seems to l)e especially 

 .susceptible to this eye disease more so than any of the other breeds. 

 r!ases of o])lithalmia in Afrikander cattle are very rare, and the Sussex 

 breed is a j^'ood deal more resistant to ophthalmia than the Hereford. 

 On the other hand, the number of cases of infection in Friesland and 

 Ayrshire cattle have also been very numerous durine' April. 



