Agriculture ajsd the Wak. 07 



endeavour was made also to procure phospliatic rock from the 

 Seychelles Islands, but owing to the difficulty of freight nothing has 

 yet come of the matter ; these phosphates were sold, prior to the out- 

 break of war, at from 45s. to 50s. per ton, and were mainly shipped to 

 Hamburg for the manufacture of superphosphates. At the same time 

 the possibility of local production received earnest attention and all 

 known or likely sources of fertilizers in the Union were inquired 

 into, but no new supplies of importance were disclosed. The position 

 in the Union was acute. Owing to high prices all available bones in 

 the country were collected and other materials of manurial value 

 were used to the utmost. The supply of Government guano \yas 

 restricted to the growing of wheat in view of the pressiug need for 

 increased production of the crop, and the screenings from the guano 

 islands were also collected, and used for fruit trees and vines. To 

 what extent these expedients helped to relieve the situation cannot be 

 gauged, but there is evidence that the lack of fertilizers seriously 

 curtailed the area put under crop and lowered the crop return per 

 acre. The Government was asked to procure and sell fertilizers 

 from overseas, but it was considered wiser for supplies to come 

 through the usual trade channels, though at the same time no effort 

 was spared by the Department of Agriculture to assist merchants to 

 obtain supplies for sale; an exception was made, however, in respect 

 of a deposit of phosphatic guano at Cape Cross, in the South-Western 

 Protectorate, formerly German South-West Africa, estimated at 4000 

 tons, which was purchased by the Government for re-sale to farmers 

 in the same way as Government guano. Shipping difficulties gave 

 trouble in removing tjiis deposit, and supplies came in slowly, 737 

 tons having come to hand at the end of March, 1918, the total quantity 

 sold and delivered at the end of 1919 being 3826 tons. Attention 

 was given also to the deposit of iron and alumina phosphates at 

 Saldanha Bay, but this has proved disappointing. 



The requirements of the United Kingdom at one time were 

 absorbing most of its production of phosphatic manures, only small 

 quantities of super being released for export. The position at the end 

 of 1919, though still abnormal, was becoming easier, fairly large con- 

 signments of superphosphate and basic slag coming in. Prices were 

 still ruling high. It is estimated that the Union requires annually 

 soiuetliing like 35,000 tons superphosphate and 10,000 tons basic slag, 

 witli the prospect of steadily increasing requirements, and supplies 

 are much below this figure; the imports of "manures and fertili- 

 zers " for the year 1919, aniounted to 12,617 tons only, mostly 

 imported during the last few months of the year. 



It will be seen, therefore, that the commencement of 1920 finds 

 the Union still in a parlous position, and nece^sitj urges the ex- 

 I)loiting of every likely source of supply. 



Agricultural Machinery and Implements. 



The Ujiion agriculturists' dependence on the manufactures of 

 other lands, especially in agricultural machinery, is well known, and 

 a long continued stoppage of supplies would paralyze the country's 

 agricultural industry. The Customs returns hereunder show the 

 extent to which the Union's supplies fell of! after the outbreak of war. 

 Manufacturers oversea, in many cases, directed their energies to war 



