1 <')(') Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



Finally, the obsciue " frogliopper " disease of young wattle trees 

 is being investigated. " Frogbopper " causes a malformation and 

 stunting of young ttees and entails mucb damage in some plantations. 

 The cause of tl^is distorted growth has never been determined, and it 

 is obviously iinpossil)lr to prescri})e remedial measures until the cause 

 of t]ie trouble is 1sMKn\ii. 



liTVE Stock Investigations'. 



Sevei'al breeds of cattle, both beef and dairy, are maintained at 

 the institution and their behaviour noted u.uder identical conditions. 

 Investigations into the cost of producing milk are also to be under- 

 taken. Little is known as regards the cost of milk production in this 

 Province, and detailed costs will be of great value to the many farmers 

 engaged in the dairying business. 



Feeding ti'iiils with oxen are curried out from time to time also. 



]5i.oss()MixG IIec:ords. 



There aie many factors wliich require to be taken into considera- 

 tion in the establishment of an orchard, not the least being the suit- 

 ability of the varieties selected to the locality. The environment may 

 I'.e ideal yet poor results obtained, due to negligence of the following 

 factor. Pollen from certain flowers is sometimes ineffective in the 

 flowers in which it is produced, due to several factors which need not 

 be discussed here. Such flowers fail to produce fruit. In order to 

 obtain a setting* of fruit in a variety of thi,? nature, it is essential to 

 have pollen from a different variety to effect the necessary pollination. 

 It is evident, therefore, that Avhere pollen is required for this purpose 

 the two varieties of plants must flower at the same time, or very 

 nearly so. The factor, therefore, of the mixing of varieties of apples, 

 varieties of pears, etc., becomes very important, and where a variety 

 is self-sterile another A^ariety, blooming at the same time, must be 

 introduced. 



Careful record is kept of the blossoming times of different varie- 

 ties of fruit at Cedara, and this information, together with that 

 obtained at other centres in the I^nion, will be i)ublished in due 

 course. 



II.— AT WIXKF.L SPRFIT. XATAL. 



Sttgai?-cane. 



At the sub-station at Wiukel Spruit trials are being made willi 

 various manures upon sugar-cane, and with the effect of trashing 

 against burning of cane. Varieties of cane are also being tested. 

 Whilst the Uba is the standard cane at the present time, other canes 

 are promising to do better than this under identical conditions. These 

 are being tried out further before any definite statement can be made 

 I'egardiug them. Soft canes are also being iried, but up to the present 

 they have not proved a success. 



Trials with the planting of tips, butts, and middles are in 

 ])rogress, as likewise manurial trials. 



